The Polygamist Is Not a Story About Polygamy
I have watched the much-talked-about Netflix series The Polygamist. Like many people, I have also followed the conversations it has generated on social media. Much of the discussion has centred on one issue: unhappy women in polygamous relationships. The series has clearly struck a nerve. Many women see their own experiences reflected in the story. Yet I think there is a danger in reducing The Polygamist to a conversation about polygamy. To do so is to mistake the stage for the play. The series is not necessarily about polygamy. It is about a man who cannot take responsibility and account for his actions. It is about a man who struggles to say sorry. It is about a man who repeatedly steps on people’s toes and expects them to continue loving him. It is about manipulation, entitlement and emotional damage. More importantly, it is about the many ways people become trapped in relationships that no longer serve them. The question that haunted me throughout the series was not, “Why doe...