Netflix’s ‘Bonding’ Has The BDSM Community Up In Arms

Bonding premiered on Netflix on April 24, 2019, and it didn’t take long for everyone to start talking about the original series. The first season, which consists of seven short episodes, attempts to tell the story of a graduate student who turns to sex work to pay the bills. She enlists the help of an old friend to serve as her assistant, and from there the series is born. Allegedly, the story is based on real events in the writer, producer and director’s life. While some fans have found the show witty and exciting, it has suffered from the same fate as other movies and shows that have attempted to delve into the often-mysterious world of subcultures.

For those who remember the controversy surrounding the premiere of Fifty Shades of Grey on the big screen, the issue with Bonding will feel familiar. When Fifty Shades premiered, insiders from the BDSM subculture were concerned that the film painted their lifestyle in an incredibly negative light. Bonding has received the same reaction.

Not everyone is jazzed about Bonding

While Bonding is getting some rave reviews, two communities aren’t particularly thrilled the show. The BDSM community and the sex work community are both bothered by the way in which the subcultures are being portrayed. Speaking to Digital Spy, a real-life dominatrix weighed in on her concerns about the show. She noted that she didn’t make it past the third episode because she disliked how the comedy dealt with real-life problems that the community faces.

She noted that the show clearly didn’t have a consultant from the community when they penned the script, and it’s obvious. For what it is worth, the writer and producer, Rightor Doyle loosely based the storyline on a real-life experience, but viewers still aren’t pleased.

Will Bonding return for a second season?

Bonding was one of six comedies that premiered on the streaming service over the last two months. It happens to be the most recent, and the one that drew the most attention, but Netflix has not yet committed to a second season for the freshman comedy.

According to Screen Rant, the fact that it hasn’t been greenlighted just yet doesn’t mean anything. Netflix generally waits between three and six weeks of a premiere to decide if a second season is in order. If the show is going to be renewed fans should know before June rolls around, but that doesn’t mean a second season will drop in short order. It will likely be a full year before the show hits the streaming service if it is picked up.