Bonding review: Another shade of grey

So yes, there are ample whips, lashes, leather, straps and latex to go around and much time is spent in a candy-floss hued sex dungeon. Add ample knots, ropes and fetishes to this heady mix. But Bonding isn’t the CliffsNotes of BDSM 101, it’s all about Tiffany’s and Peter’s shenanigans that take centrestage as they navigate dating, disclosing their chosen life of work and the resultant havoc it creates. On the surface, Tiffany becomes a dominatrix to help pay for grad school, and Peter needs the cash to pay rent for his hole-in-the-wall apartment that he shares with his sexually repressed roommate. Plenty of heavy duty stuff, but the quick writing and sharp wit, sprinkled with pop culture references make it quite appealing. There are many funny moments which are subtle political digs. When Tiffany drags Peter into a unisex bathroom, he stammers, “Can I be in here?” She snaps, “Don’t be a Republican.” One would want to applaud loudly for Peter as he finally makes his first appearance as a comic at an open mic — wait for it — in leather pants and an accompanying strappy masque. “Ah, I am coming straight from work,” he chimes, to uproarious laughter.

Zoe Levin as Tiffany is a delight, as she balances the boyfriend-jeans wearing college student avatar with her Mistress May persona, replete with spike-heeled thigh-high boots and leather corsets. Her vulnerability, as she opens up about her desire to ‘fix’ everything, including herself, is endearing. Brendan Scannell, as the insecure, mumbling gay man equipped with a scathing tongue also makes you smile.

With a 17-minute run time, the episodes have a kind of half baked feel — especially with the inherent thrust that is placed on streaming platforms to encourage binge-watching. The short span also leaves gaping holes in the narrative. We don’t know a lot about Tiffany and Peter. Do they have families? Why were they apart for so many years? We would never know. Also, what happens with Rolph, the live-in submissive of Tiffany?

As for the BDSM bit, we don’t know how accurate it is, or if the community would endorse it. But it’s definitely a step above the mess that was created by the Fifty Shades franchise.

Watch Bonding. And if you get the urge to call your high-school bestie, don’t be surprised.

Bonding streams on Netflix

ektaa.malik@expressindia.com