Pop Culturalist Chats with Impulse’s Sarah Desjardins

Sarah Desjardins is one of Hollywood’s most exciting and versatile young actresses. Currently, she’s starring in the YouTube Premium series, Impulse, playing Jenna Hope, a popular girl from a small town who’s struggling to find her place in the world. Through the course of the season, Sarah’s character goes on quite the journey and proves that there’s more than meets the eye. And it’s Sarah’s performance that’s made her one to watch. Pop Culturalist had the pleasure of speaking with Sarah about Impulse, her favorite relationship in the series, and her hopes for season two.

PC: Tell us about Impulse and your character.
Sarah: Impulse is about a girl named Henry Cole. She moves to the town of Reston with her mom, Cleo. They live with Cleo’s next flavor of the month, Thomas, and his daughter Jenna, who I play. Henry is an outsider in this town. She doesn’t fit in. She’s stuck there because of her mom.

When we meet Henry and Jenna together, they’re complete opposites. Jenna is really settled in the town. She’s one of the popular girls at the school. She doesn’t want Henry infringing on her space or compromising her status. But as the show carries on, Henry finds herself in a situation where she’s assaulted by one of the guys at the school. As soon as that happens, it completely changes the Jenna/Henry dynamic. She tells Jenna what happens and Jenna is there for her right away and believes her. They go off on this journey as the assault is linked with Henry’s ability to teleport.

When we meet Jenna, we get the vibe that she’s the stereotypical popular girl in this small town. But as what happens with every character, Henry’s ability shows everyone’s true colors as we go along. Jenna is actually a loving, compassionate girl. She’s been through a lot. Her mom died of Alzheimer’s disease when she was really young and that’s brought her and her dad closer together. Jenna’s life revolves around being what other people need her to be. She wants everyone to get what they need and have their lives be easy—especially her dad after everything they’ve gone through. But, through the course of the season, Jenna finally finds some time to focus on herself. And Henry really encourages her to do that. Throughout the season, she’s searching for her identity and, by the end, we get a true version of who she actually is.

PC: The show doesn’t shy away from tackling serious issues. As an actress, does that change your preparation?
Sarah: Maddie [who plays Henry Cole] had to do a lot of preparation. She met with a therapist who worked with a lot of people who are victims of sexual assault. Our showrunner, Lauren LeFranc, talked to a bunch of survivors. The writers did their research. For me, my role is more about being a sounding board and a support system for Henry. I looked at Planned Parenthood and researched what the aftermath is like for someone who’s gone through something like that. I had the task of being there for the person. Jenna goes through some stuff too that I definitely had to research but I don’t want to give too much away. People will just have to watch.


PC: As the season unfolds, we get to see many different sides to Jenna. What qualities about her resonated with you the most?
Sarah: What really resonated with me the most about Jenna is that she wants to put others at ease and to give them what they need. It’s something that I’ve grappled with in my life. It’s a good quality to have but you have to remember to take care of yourself, too. I enjoyed going on the journey with Jenna to discover who she is because she kind of forgot for a while. That’s something I can relate to.

PC: There are a lot of really interesting dynamics between all the characters. Which was your favorite to explore and why?
Sarah: My favorite relationship would be with Henry because it’s so complex. It’s the “will they or won’t they” of the show, but not as a couple, but as friends and as sisters. It turns out Jenna has a lot of love and support to give Henry but she doesn’t know how to accept it. Henry has never tried to develop relationships when she moved to all these towns because she’s never there long enough for it to be worth it. It’s this push-and-pull. Jenna’s going to keep pushing and being there to support her because she knows it’s what Henry needs. And over time, Jenna feels safe enough with Henry that she opens up to her about what she’s going through. They’re slowly building this relationship even though it has moments when it halts and reverts. It was lovely to get to work with Maddie. We really connect, in similar ways, in real life.

But if I can say, my favorite relationship dynamic that I’m not part of is Cleo and Lucas. They’re such nuanced actors. I grew up watching Missi Pyre doing mostly comedies, so it’s a pleasure to watch her do such an amazing job in this dramatic role. And Craig Arnold is so talented. Lucas is my favorite character on the show. He has so many layers to him. By the end of the season, you really feel for him—at least I did. It’s a testament to Craig and how he portrayed this actor.

PC: Season one lays the groundwork for who these characters are and how they’re all connected. If the show is picked up for a second season, what are you most excited to dive deeper into?
Sarah: Personally, I’m definitely excited to dive deeper into Jenna’s identity and what’s going on there. We just scratched the surface this season. We don’t know the definitive direction the show is going in but it seems like we’re leaning more into the Jumper universe. They’ve only begun to intersect with us. I think we’re going to go farther in that direction. We have to figure out who these people are and what they want with Henry.

PC: What was your favorite scene and the most challenging scene to film?
Sarah: My favorite scene is in episode ten where I’m smoking with Henry in the car before we go into school. It was fun and at that point, Jenna is coming into herself and putting a lot less pressure on herself. I enjoyed that situation and what plays out in that scene, and I talk about how I feel like I always have to be a certain way. It was fun to let all that out as Jenna. And again, any scene with Maddie is lovely.

[Spoiler Alert] The most challenging scene we filmed is in episode nine where Henry and I are cleaning up after something happens. It’s quite a long scene from when she talks to me in the kitchen and we work our way through the house having this intense conversation. There are so many different levels and reveals in that conversation. I found that one to be challenging but I’m happy with how it turned out.

Pop Culturalist Speed Round

PC: Guilty pleasure TV show?
Sarah: Million Dollar Listing

PC: Guilty pleasure movie?
Sarah: 50 First Dates

PC: Favorite book?
Sarah: The Giver

PC: Favorite play or musical?
Sarah: Mamma Mia!

PC: Favorite social media platform?
Sarah: Instagram! I’m addicted.

PC: A band or artist that fans would be surprised to learn is on your playlist?
Sarah: Machine Gun Kelly

PC: Last show you binge-watched?
Sarah: Queer Eye

PC: If you could teleport any place in the world and why?
Sarah: New York! It’s a boring answer but I love it so much. I go to all the musicals—all the Broadway plays. There is so much art there.

Make sure to follow Sarah on Twitter and Instagram, and binge-watch season one of Impulse on YouTube Premium today.

Photo Credit: Kristine Cofsky