Bonding is a dark comedy about a grad student who runs a dominatrix business and the gay best friend from high school who works for her. It is a small, specific show that knows exactly what it wants to be, and mostly delivers on it. Netflix released it on April 24, 2019, with 15 episodes across two seasons, ending on January 27, 2021.
Trailer, via Netflix.
Tiff and Pete
Zoe Levin plays Tiff Chester, a psychology student who takes clients through BDSM sessions to pay her bills. Brendan Scannell plays Pete Devin, her best friend from high school, who works as a waiter and tries to break into stand-up comedy. Their relationship is the engine of the show, and the chemistry between Levin and Scannell carries the first season.
The show leans on the contrast between Tiff’s professional control and Pete’s anxious, awkward nature. Pete is nervous around people, and he has a history of being hurt by others. Working for Tiff forces him into situations that push him out of his comfort zone, which becomes the slow arc of his character’s growth over the series.
The Premise and Its Limits
The premise is bold, but the execution sometimes struggles to match it. Bonding is based on the personal experience of creator Rightor Doyle, and that intimacy shows in the writing. The show does not shy away from the mechanics of Tiff’s work, though it handles them with a light touch that keeps the show from feeling too explicit.
The problem is pacing. Some episodes feel stretched thin, spending too much time on setup and not enough on payoff. The series also has a habit of leaning on jokes about Tiff’s clients that land less well than the ones about Pete. The show’s tone shifts frequently between comedy and drama, and not every episode finds the balance.
The Supporting Cast
Micah Stock plays Doug, Pete’s ex-boyfriend who returns to complicate Pete’s life. Theo Stockman and Nana Mensah round out the cast, though neither gets as central a role as Levin or Scannell. The show’s focus stays firmly on the two leads, and that focus serves the material better than trying to spread it thinner.
| Character | Role | Strength |
|---|---|---|
| Tiff Chester | Dominatrix, grad student | Drives the premise and the emotional core |
| Pete Devin | Assistant, waiter, aspiring comedian | Carries the show’s warmth and pathos |
| Doug | Ex-boyfriend | Adds tension to Pete’s personal life |
What Works
The show’s best moments come when it stops explaining itself and lets the characters breathe. Pete’s fear of performing in front of strangers, and Tiff’s calm confidence, play off each other beautifully. The series also has a sharp eye for the small humiliations of city life, which ground the fantasy of Tiff’s work in something recognizable.
Where Bonding falters is in its handling of Tiff’s clients. Some scenes lean on tired stereotypes about wealthy men looking for humiliation, and the show does not always find new ways to explore them. The result is a series that is often clever, occasionally profound, and rarely dull, but which could have used more discipline in its middle stretch.
Final Word
Bonding is a minor triumph of specificity. It takes a niche premise and turns it into a show about friendship, trust, and working hard to keep your life together. The acting is strong, the writing is confident, and the series ends on a note that feels earned rather than rushed.
The show’s flaws are real, but they do not outweigh its strengths. It is a show that rewards attention and deserves credit for taking risks. Bonding is a solid, if uneven, watch, and worth a look for anyone interested in character-driven comedy-drama.
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