The prison movie channel is supposed to air new content every couple days. It rarely adheres to that standard.
All the movies, TV shows, and necessary licenses are paid for by the Prisoner Benefit Fund, which is funded by taxing every prisoner purchase 15%, from commissary to TVs to sweatpants.
Last fiscal year, the PBF allegedly spent $28,000 on new movies and licensing fees. However, for half the year, the prison channel played no movies or shows whatsoever, never mind new ones.
(I don’t care what prison it is–an audit of the Prisoner Benefit Fund would uncover huge discrepancies. Several years ago, the warden at Muskegon was convicted of embezzling funds from the PBF.)
It finally started playing” The Affair,” which was previously shown the year before. I understand there’s inflation but $28,000 for the license to play the pre-owned DVDs of a TV show seems steep.
Luckily, The Affair is worth watching again. It’s a steamy Showtime drama about a goofy dad (Noah) with literary aspirations who cheats on his perfect wife (Helen) with a sensual waitress (Allison) whose own life has been careening out of control since the death of her son.
It’s the rare show that gets better as the show progresses, and ends with an emotionally satisfying finale. (The finale is one of the best episodes.) The first season depicts the origins of and the consummation of their affair. Every subsequent season deals with the subtle ramifications and dramatic consequences of that one decision.
Each episode switches perspectives between characters, so we sometimes see the same event from two different point of views. The show explores the different ways male characters remember their partners and rivals versus female characters, while also tracks the effects of a parent’s decisions upon their progeny.
(Maybe my affinity for the show is explained by Noah’s career arc, the English-teacher-turned-famous-writer-turned-convict-turned-professor, something I wish to emulate. )
Easy Trouble 