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The polygamist: The television series on everyone’s lips
The new Netflix drama series “The Polygamist” based on a book of the same title written by Sue Nyathi, a bestselling Zimbabwean author, has the whole country on their feet, entertained as it remains in mouths. The 22 episode series premiered on 12 June and viewers have since expressed their sentiments in a bubble of conversation that has dominated social media.
The plot of the drama series which is centred around a complex interplay of family dynamics, infidelity and betrayal has got South Africans speaking about adjacent and congruent realities in their own lives both seriously and in the spirit of humour.
The Plot:
“Jonasi” played by Sdumo Mtshali is the protagonist and the polygamist in question and the storyline follows his life as a married man who then gets entangled with four other women. His wife stays despite his affairs in their 20-year marriage but eventually decides to plot his demise.
Audience sentiment has been divided into two camps. One camp heralds the idea of the show portraying polygamy as a cultural ideal that has been endorsed and practiced historically. The other camp has been pointedly critical of Jonasi, lamenting on how his actions has cause distress for his family up until he contracts HIV and how that puts his spouse at risk.
That spoke to how many people find themselves in a vulnerable position by rendering them susceptible to sexually transmitted diseases when they sleep with other people besides their partner without using protection. In the end Jonasi dies when he refuses to take his medication.
The Polygamist from the eyes of SA: X comments;
“No matter what problems existed in the marriage, they don’t excuse Joyce for paying someone to infect her husband with HIV.”-@maMkhiz_obomvu
“The Polygamist reminds us how unfair life can be. Essie deserves so much more. She sacrificed and invested in Jonas’s future by funding his education through her hairdressing business. Without her support, he might never have secured the life and career he has today. Yet she and her children seem to receive the bare minimum, while Joyce and Matipa enjoy the comforts and luxuries that came from foundations Essie helped build.” – @Am_Blujay
“Watching the polygamist with a man you forgave for cheating must be so tough” -@gomomoratele
“I stopped watching The polygamist midway coz I was getting worried that he will want to sleep with me too” -@slendeel
“So since Jonasi got HIV from Lungi does it mean that his wives were not infected? Coz Joyce is the only one who knew what’s going on she’s the only one who could have avoided sleeping with him. And since he stayed with Lindani he definitely gave it to her too… meaning, Menzi will get it as well since he slept with her in the end” -@niggakazzi
With some anticipating with a season two some feel there should not be one as this one was too emotional and with the protagonist dead it looses meaning. Nextflix has not revealed if there will be a season 2.
