It was inevitable that we would get a TV series about BDSM and this low budget Netflix series offers up a comedic take that unfortunately misses the mark. Zoe Levin plays Tiff, who plays Dominatrix Mistress May, who reconnects with her high school BFF Peter, played by Brendan Scannell, who ends up playing her assistant, Carter. I thought that the dominating woman (literally) and the wimpy gay sidekick were stereotypes long gone but apparently not. But the core issue I have with this show is the tone – it swings wildly and even though this is a comedy, it just isn’t funny.
To make matters worse, the productions values are amateurish, particularly the lighting, which makes the entire show appear as if filmed in fluorescent light, making all the scenes flat and the otherwise attractive actors, less than flattering. Showrunner, writer and director Rightor Doyle clearly has total control over this project, but with the Mistress not particularly dominating, BONDING isn’t whip-smart.
BONDING Season One on Netflix is, sadly, a flaccid look at the world of BDSM.
