‘Bonding’ review

Promotional image for ‘Bonding’

And I don’t mean emotionally

By Tania Arora, Staff Writer

 

4/5

 

What is your wildest fantasy? What do you think someone else’s wildest fantasy would be? How far can you take your imagination? Welcome to the kingdom of Mistress May. No matter how erotic or ugly your fantasies are, she has got it covered.

With multiple shows out there depicting all kinds of emotions, Bonding sets itself apart by showcasing something beyond imagination. Tiff, played by Zoe Levin, is a psychology grad student in New York City. Breaking all the normal conventions, she decides to become a dominatrix. Her best friend in high school is Pete (Brendan Scannell), and she reunites with him years later. At this point he needs money, so as a good friend does, she hires him as an assistant. Pete is a waiter but aspires to be a stand-up comedian… even though he has stage-fright.

The actors fit into the roles amazingly well. Tiff has both an innocent and wild side to her, and actress Levin is able to express both of them. Scannell also fits right into the shoes of Pete.

Before I watched the show, I never knew that getting peed on by someone could be pleasurable, or that inserting multiple fingers into the butthole could be erotic. Additionally, this show taught me that there truly are no limits to  moaning while being tickled, and the fact that being a dominatrix is not the same being a  prostitute.

Till after the first episode, I wasn’t sure what was happening. It started making sense from the second episode onwards. So, if you tend to lose interest quickly—hold on, the show becomes more interesting as it goes on. The length of each episode is quite short, and there are only seven episodes in total. If you are a person with short attention span, you might want to try this show.

The title implies that it is all about sexual experiences, but the show has other plot lines and emotions in it too. It is a story of two friends who were once separated. They say they need each other, but the characters are shown to be emotionally dependent. The professional relationship helps the characters rediscover themselves. They were damaged. They were scared of following paths that society doesn’t accept. But later, they become comfortable with it and with themselves. This show is all about their personal journey.

I would give all my recommendations for this show as the bonding is not just between the dominant and submissive, but between us and the damaged people we are deep down.