The Polygamist Review
Director: Akin Omotoso, Rolie Nikiwe and Nthabi Tau
Date Created: 2026-06-12 22:00
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The Polygamist Review: Directed by Akin Omotoso, Rolie Nikiwe, and Nthabi Tau, Netflix’s South African drama series, adapted from Su Nyati’s novel of the same name, is led by Gugu Gumede as Joyce, Sdumo Mtshali as Jonasi, alongside Kwanele Mthethwa, Luyanda Zwane, S’thandiwe Kgoroge, Kenneth Nkosi, Celeste Ntuli and others. The series has 22 episodes, each with a runtime of 30 minutes.
The Polygamist Review
Netflix series The Polygamist is centred around a very powerful and prominent businessman, Jonasi Gomora, who has managed to amass wealth and power through sheer ambition and hard work. On the surface level, everything seems to be perfect for him; he has all the elements in place for any male individual: power, money, respect, success and more. What is not obvious on the surface is that his life is one massive lie. He lives his life with multiple women around him and manages to convince everybody that he still has control over everything.
However, at the opposite end of this man’s life is his wife Joyce, an influencer and also a woman trying desperately to hold her family together. She requires stability, fidelity, and truth in her personal life. However, she is stuck with a man who lacks these qualities. Each time he deceives others or his wife, each secret he unravels, she is forced to look into the face of the stark reality of her life. This character becomes intriguing due to the fact that the story does not portray her in the role of the ‘victim’. Instead, she grows and evolves over the years, through the disappointments of her life.
What surprised me was that throughout Netflix’s The Polygamist, is how it makes us hate Jonasi. Even after the protagonist of the series is a powerful individual who feels entitled to control everybody around him, as he thinks all people are merely there to cater to his desires. It soon becomes evident that Jonasi’s biggest flaw is not his ambition; rather, it is the belief that he is entitled to controlling every event, interaction, and outcome.
Sdumo Mtshali offers an interpretation that maintains the character of Jonasi’s allure despite him being unpalatable at times. He walks and talks with the arrogance of a man used to getting his way. At the same time, there are instances where the desperate side of Jonasi starts to come out, but what is remarkable about Mtshali’s portrayal is the ability to make Jonasi likeable and annoying despite his numerous poor judgments.
The emotional focal point falls under Joyce, who is portrayed by Gugu Gumede. As mentioned above, the main focus of Joyce’s storyline involves betrayal, humiliation, and disappointment, yet Gugu’s portrayal of this character ensures that the audience will not reduce her to a victim of circumstances. Joyce possesses immense inner strength, despite the fact that she tries to hide it under self-restraint. There are several powerful scenes in the series revolving around the ways Joyce copes with problems that can defeat even the strongest person.
Another character whose portrayal adds additional complexity to the plot involving the network of relationships between Jonasi is Matipa Nkosi, played by Kwanele Mthethwa. The series is full of people who are involved in numerous relationships, which involve all kinds of emotions like love, jealousy, and loyalty, as well as survival instincts. The script may be somewhat conventional at times, yet actors have managed to convey their characters’ emotional state very well.
One of the things that makes Netflix’s The Polygamist series unique is how it shows the power struggles between people. Although at first glance it appears to be just another story about one man’s romantic life, there is much more to it. Actually, the major reason why many conflicts happen is that they all stem from an attempt to control someone else.
But even this South African series The Polygamist, is far from being perfect and has its drawbacks, especially concerning the number of episodes. As you know, there are 22 episodes in total, which is not so short as it could be. Moreover, the fact that many episodes are centred around one set of feelings does make the viewing rather boring sometimes. It seems like it would have been much wiser to elaborate on already mentioned problems instead of coming up with something else every five minutes.
However, it is impossible not to admit that the series is still fun to watch. Of course, the show may become exaggerated sometimes, but there is something exciting about seeing just how far they will push the exaggeration. The people behind the show are proud to be called a melodrama, unlike others who try to explain away this feature; this works very well for the show. If you enjoy family melodramas with betrayal and deceit, then this one is made especially for you.
Netflix The Polygamist Review: Summing Up
In conclusion, 2026 The Polygamist series can be viewed as a successful drama due to its glamorous nature and entertainment value. This show contains great performances, captivating themes, and unexpected turns that will keep the audience entertained; however, there is an element of repetitiveness and overlength in this drama. While I was fully engaged in the storyline, I do not think that all 22 episodes were needed.
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