The third episode of Bonding has the least to do with BDSM so far.
Tiff and Pete struggle with their inhibitions. Tiff avoids giving a class presentation on why she wants to be a psychiatrist, while the jock-ish guy who has been flirting with her gives a heartfelt, vulnerable speech. Meanwhile, Pete still hasn’t called the guy who gave him his number.
They happen to meet an acquaintance from their Ohio high school, who brings up old feelings of being outcasts. In a heart-to-heart with Pete, while both are wearing rubber cat masks for “protection”, Tiff says she was in the “gray zone” because she “fucked football players”. She also says Pete was the only man who didn’t just want sex from her.
Pete agrees to anally finger his roommate in exchange for one month’s rent.
Roommate: “I’m gonna keep my shirt on so it’s not full-blown gay.”
As Pete gets to work (with no glove and no lube other than spit) he starts to get excited, as he’s also into his roommate’s feet. It’s going well until the roommate’s girlfriend shows up and punches Pete in the face.
While Tiff and Pete may feel more liberated in the fantastic underworld of BDSM for pay as “Mistress May” and “Carter”, that doesn’t necessarily help them in their vanilla lives. It is interesting that Pete’s idea of having them wear rubber masks for “protection” helps them open up to each other.
My biggest problem so far is that Tiff and Pete are basically hustlers, who practice BDSM for money but don’t identify with it. They’re not like their clients or other sex workers.
