Bound by Bonding

When scrolling through Netflix I stumbled upon a new series; Bonding. The new Netflix show follows the story of a young man struggling to make money who decides to work as an assistant for a dominatrix, his high school best friend Tiff.

The show is split into subplots in which the two friends pursue romantic interests whilst overcoming their own personal issues in the process. It has humour, romance, innuendo’s and a few emotional pulls-on-your-heartstrings moments and is packed into seven short episodes.

Brendan Scannell is flawless as BDSM newbie Pete who navigates the world of sexual pleasures in all their various forms. Pete is the character you will support and grow attached to. His fear of performing his stand-up comedy holds him back and it is clear that his new job will help him find himself. I found myself willing him too and Scannell’s portrayal of the lovable fish-out-of-water was something we can all relate too in some way.

Despite the agonisingly predictive plot, Bonding gives us an insight into the world of BDSM and the life that workers in the sex industry lead. Tiff aka Mistress May, tackles a variety of her clients sexual needs which provides the foundation for much of the humour in the show. The awkward silences paired with the confused looks of Scannell makes priceless television.

The episodes were slightly too short for my liking and I would have liked more development into the relationship between Tiff and her love interest Doug, who is in her psychology class. The date scene between Tiff and Doug at the arcade was one of the most pure and precious scenes in an otherwise sexualised show.

Bonding was a good show that has a lot of potential and a lot more to give. I hope we haven’t seen the last of Mistress May and Master Carter (Tiff and Pete). Tiff finally opening up to progress in her psychology class and with her relationship with Doug, and Pete overcoming his fear of performing stand-up comedy set the scene perfectly for a season two.

I was one happy viewer to see both of the characters overcome their issues and finally give themselves a chance at happiness. Friendship is the very beating heart of this show and I would love to see this theme developed more.