Think dating one person is complicated? Meet the polycule.
If you think finding one date for Saturday brunch is hard, imagine having four people you can call when you want someone to grab coffee. Suddenly, your dating life is looking a little underbooked.
Welcome to the world of the polycule, a term that sounds like it belongs in a chemistry class but actually describes a network of people connected through polyamorous relationships.
So, What Exactly Is a Polycule?
According to the Cambridge Dictionary, a polycule is a group of people in a polyamorous relationship who consider themselves connected, even though not everyone necessarily has a romantic or sexual relationship with every other person.
The word itself is a combination of “poly,” meaning many, and “molecule,” inspired by the way the relationships can look when mapped out.
And there is no standard polycule blueprint. It can involve three people, several more, or an ever-expanding web of relationships. Some start with an established couple opening their relationship to others, while others develop more organically.
Basically, there is no one-size-fits-all formula. And thank goodness, because apparently relationships have decided they don’t need to follow a flowchart.
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Meet The Polycule
Now WOW Presents Plus is bringing one particular polycule to our screens.
The Polycule is a new unscripted docuseries following 5-person couple living in Silicon Valley: Eric Wong, Hamilton “Milty” Du, James “JJ” Lee, Jonathan “JC” Chien, and Michael Li.
The five men are partners, having fallen in love with each other and building a shared life together.
According to Lad Bible, the story actually started with James “JJ” Lee and Jonathan “JC” Chien, who met while they were in college in California’s South Bay area. The two eventually married in October 2022. Along the way, their relationship grew to include Eric Wong, whom they met in 2018, Hamilton “Milty” Du in 2021, and Michael Li in 2022.
The five initially connected through a friends-with-benefits arrangement and eventually started a group chat, with their relationships becoming increasingly intertwined over time. By January 2023, they had formally embraced their five-person polycule.
And if you already follow them on YouTube, you may know that this isn’t exactly a brand-new chapter for the group. They have previously shared pieces of their relationship online, but the upcoming series promises to take viewers much further inside their lives.
Five Partners Means Five Times the Conversations
According to the show’s description, pretty much nothing is being kept neatly tucked away.
The series will explore communication, jealousy, intimacy, sex, family expectations, celebrations, and the everyday logistics of building a life with multiple partners.
Because if coordinating a dinner date with one person can already involve approximately 47 messages about where to eat, imagine coordinating five people.
But beneath the fun is a bigger story about what family, commitment, partnership, and love can look like when you aren’t following the traditional relationship template.
The Polycule is currently in production and will premiere exclusively on WOW Presents Plus.
And honestly? We’re already curious to see how five people navigate love, life, and all those group chats.