Easy is a 2016 dramedy series about modern sex and romance. It’s loosely an anthology: most of the stories are self-contained, but certain character recur.
“Private Eyes” (season 3, episode 2, aired 10 May 2019) follows Hugh (Nicky Excitement) a technician who works for a private security company. Hugh is a kind of awkward guy, like an overgrown teenager with a fixation on martial arts. He goes on two dates, which end with polite but firm rejections by the women.
When Hugh’s boss asks him to take assignments from the private investigations side of the business, Hugh eagerly accepts. He’s thrilled by the challenge of trailing a philandering spouse, and asks for more work like this.
The next assignment is to accompany a female private investigator, Lindsay, to a femdom/malesub house party. While it’s clear that Hugh knows little about this subculture, he’s eager to prove himself to his boss, and he may be intrigued by the situation itself.
Boss: “I just want to make sure you’re comfortable with the role.”
Hugh: “Is she?”
Boss: “Um… well, yeah, she’s–“
Hugh: “Will she be– She’s the one that will dominate.”
Boss: “Um, well, I don’t know if she’ll be the one dominating you for real. I mean, you guys will play act, but–“
Hugh: “It’s all an act. Understood.”
[…]
Hugh: “This is right up my alley.[…] I mean, not yet, but I’ve always wanted to go down that alley.”
Hugh researches by watching what appears to be a porn video of a woman paddling a man. He dutifully takes notes.
Lindsay briefs Hugh on the assignment, looking for a cheating husband. Hugh will have a watch with a hidden camera.
Lindsay: “I’m really gonna be in charge once we walk in there. I’ve brought you to the party. I’m the dom, you’re the sub, and you just… you have to follow my lead.”
Hugh brings up the problem of him feeling pain and wanting it to stop. Lindsay doesn’t answer, which is in my opinion an oversight in the writing. They could have introduced a safeword. Hugh seems in character already, but addressing Lindsay as “ma’am.”
At the BDSM party, Hugh and Lindsay are in fetish outfits, and compliment each other. She puts a collar and leash on Hugh. Her nom de scene is “Mistress Lesley”.
The people at the party, hosted by Mistress Amelia, look realistic, in that they look like real people, not models. Though all the couples are malesub/femdom, both the men and the women show a range of body types. Hugh is overwhelmed at the scenes in progress as Lindsay leads him around on a leash. As soon as they are away from the host, he asks to leave, on the brink of panic. Lindsay reassures him, and he calls her “Mistress Lesley”.
They search for the couple they’re supposed to photograph. They find them in the middle of a tease and denial scene. Hugh is losing it again, but Lindsay tells him to keep it together. “Be a good boy and don’t talk.” He says he’s hungry, and they go to get a snack and wait for their targets to be alone. In the kitchen, the target couple approaches them and invites them into the same room.
Lindsay: “I’m proud of you.”
Hugh: “For real?”
Lindsay: “Yeah. Let’s go.”
In another room, the target couple are doing a Japanese-style rope bondage scene. Debbie, the target woman, encourages Lindsay to put Hugh on the St. Andrew’s cross. Lindsay takes one of the house toy riding crops and makes a few light swats at him. Meanwhile, Debbie pulls out a dildo and harness to use on her date, orally. Lindsay positions Hugh so he can take pictures with the hidden camera. Hugh is part afraid, part aroused, and getting into the scene with Lindsay.
As they prepare to leave, Hugh is enthusiastic and says he and Lindsay should be doing this more. Not clear if he means going undercover or doing BDSM. Mistress Amelia gives Lindsay her card for the next party, which Hugh eagerly takes.
Back at the security company, they applaud Hugh for a great job. He calls it “The night of my life, in a lot of ways.”
In the final scene, Hugh meets another woman for a first date, who turns out to be Mistress Amelia, the host of the play party. It goes well, until Amelia asks him how he knows “Lesley”. Hugh stumbles and says he works for her.
Easy treats BDSM in a matter-of-fact way. The episode is unusual in that it focuses on a heterosexual man discovering his masochistic/submissive side, and experiencing pleasure instead of shame or denial. That he meets with Amelia for a date suggests he has genuine interest. Nicky Excitement does appear in a later episode.
This episode was shot in a real dungeon space in Chicago.
