SDCC 2019: Inside the Impulse Press Room

If there’s one show that everyone should be watching, it’s YouTube Premium’s Impulse. The breakout sci-fi hit follows the journey of Henrietta “Henry” Cole, a young woman who discovers she has the ability to teleport after she’s almost sexually assaulted by a fellow classmate.

Since its premiere in June 2018, the series’ pilot episode has been streamed over 50 million times and will return for its sophomore season this fall.

Maddie Hasson (Henry Cole), Lauren LeFranc (showrunner), Enuka Okauma (Deputy Anna Hulce), Daniel Maslany (Townes Linderman), and Sarah Desjardins (Jenna Hope) were on-hand at this year’s San Diego Comic-Con to discuss season two.

Maddie Hasson on what’s ahead for Henry:
“Season two is about controlling her power. In season one, Henry is avoiding her trauma, but she realizes her trauma is the key to making her power happen and not letting it happen to her. She’s taking her power back—both literally and metaphorically.” — Maddie Hasson

Maddie Hasson on Henry’s trauma:
“Your trauma is your own thing; you get to decide what it is to you. It doesn’t have to be an Instagram post. It doesn’t have to be a tweet. It doesn’t have to be a whole article of opinions. It’s your trauma and you get to decide what you do with it, what you define it as, and how it can be painful, and possibly inspiring. It’s yours.” — Maddie Hasson

Lauren LeFranc on collaborating with the cast:
“Character development is so important to me. I sit with every actor before the season starts and talk to them about their character, what their journey is, and why. In season one, we sat and talked about their past and more of who they are at their core so they have a foundation.” — Lauren LeFranc

Enuka Okuma on Deputy Anna Hulce’s past:
“There’s definitely an instinct to care for the characters that she’s encountered. In Anna’s life, which we’ll learn more about in season two, there’s a youth in her life that she feels she didn’t service. It’s a mission for her to make sure, as both an officer and human being, that she’s there to help anyone who’s in distress. There’s a bit of a den-mother feel to this character. I think it’s part of the reason why she became a cop.” — Enuka Okuma

Daniel Maslany on preparing to play Townes:
“They had me meet with a specialist who works with young people with autism. That was really useful for me, especially hearing personal stories and what high school was like at that time. You do all that research and you hope to embody it on set…I relate to the anxiety and social anxiety that is associated with autism, so jumping into that felt quite natural.” — Daniel Maslany

Sarah Desjardins on the relationship between Henry and Jenna:
“Because Henry has been such an outsider for so long, she doesn’t know how to have friends. But, despite that, Jenna powers through. The perseverance and the understanding that comes with that…I think it’s so great.” — Sarah Desjardins

Impulse: The Complete First Season is available to stream for free on YouTube Premium.