When
Bonding first hit Netflix in spring 2019, there hadn’t been much else like it in mainstream television. In its story of Tiff (Zoe Levin), a college student who moonlights as a dominatrix by the name of Mistress May, and her friend Pete (Brendan Scannell), a comedian who Tiff convinces to become her assistant,
Bonding positioned itself as a stylish, funny, and sex-positive series that didn’t shy away from its kinks. Based on the real-life experiences of creator Rightor Doyle,
Bonding set its odd-couple buddy comedy against the backdrop of the dominatrix community, hoping to turn stereotypes about BDSM on their head. But soon after the premiere, some viewers began voicing disappointment in how the show portrayed said community, propagating certain negative stereotypes, and taking a too casual approach to how its characters negotiated consent—a fundamental facet of any dom/sub dynamic—or any relationship, for that matter.