All language subtitles for Prison.Brides.S01E01.1080p.WEB.h264-EDITH[EZTVx.to]

- [Emma] I am from
London, England.

- [Svea] I live in
Dusseldorf, Germany.

- [Andreea] Romania.

- [Gabby] Lithuania.
- [Erin] Australia.

(upbeat music continues)

- Hi

- Hiya.
- How are you doing?

- [Jamal] Oh, you
look good, baby.

- Thank you baby.

- [Emma] He's one of
the most lovely people

I've ever come
across in my life.

- [Svea] He's a good listener.
He's really understanding.

- [Romania] I wouldn't
change him for the world.

- [Operator] This call is
from a correction facility

and is subject to
monitoring and recording.

- [Joseph] I'm currently serving

an 11-year sentence
for armed robbery.

- [Jamal] I was convicted
of second-degree murder.

- [Cage] I was given 50
years into a maximum prison.

(tense music)

- When I get outta
here, you know,

we will create a life together.

(tense music continues)

- [Gabby] I'm flying
to get married

to the love of my life.

- I feel sick. I'm so nervous.

(tense music continues)

- Oh no. That is him.

- Right there.

- [Producer] How you feeling?
- Excited.

(prison door clatters)

(buzzer buzzing)

(mellow music)

- Okay.

My name is Svea.

I'm 29 years old and I live
in Dusseldorf, Germany.

I am a midwife. My dating
past. (exhales softly)

There's not much of a dating
history, to be honest.

At some point I asked myself,

"Is something wrong
with me." (laughs)

I was a student, home schooling.

There was nobody to talk to.

Online I saw there's
an opportunity

to be pen pals with a a
prisoner in the United States

and I just thought I would
say whatever is on my mind.

He's so far away.

He cannot tell nobody
because he's locked up.

I packed. I'm ready to go.

He's a good listener.

He's really understanding.

He's goofy. Yeah, he's goofy.

(harrowing music)
(prison doors rattle)

- My name is Joseph.
I'm currently serving

an 11-year prison sentence

at the Central Michigan
Correctional Facility

for armed robbery, assault,
and possession of a firearm.

I received a message from Svea.

It was a picture.
She was smiling.

It was just the brightest smile

I've probably ever
seen in my entire life.

- I thought it would not
be possible to fall in love

with somebody that
you have never met.

But it happened to
me so it can happen.

- Some of my closest friends
man, they called her a catfish.

There's no possible way
that this beautiful girl

halfway across the world

would be interested in
your ugly ass. (laughs)

(subdued music)

- My friends and
family, they are nervous

because I'm having
this long flight

visiting people that
I've never met before,

just because it's far,
far away from home.

I never told my mom
who I was talking to,

like in the beginning,

but then she asked
me for his name.

I went out to the garden for
like two hours, came back in.

Then she was like,
"Girl, are you aware

of the fact that you're
talking to somebody in prison?"

My mom was like a detective.

So Mom, I'm gonna visit Joseph
for the very first time.

- I'm a little bit scared

because you only know him

from writing.
- Yeah.

- And you don't know if
it is true or not true.

(dramatic music)

- I think that I
know him pretty well.

- He never lied to you?
- Yes.

- It was always honest?
- Yes.

- He didn't was asking for money
like a lot of prisoners do?

- Never.

He never asked me for money and
he never received any money.

- I hope you will
not be disappointed.

- Yeah.

- Svea is my rock.

She believes that I've changed.

She tells me that when I
get outta here, you know,

we will create a life together.

That's something
that I always wanted.

- What do you think
about the crime he made?

What was his motivation?

- Of course it's not
a nice crime at all,

but he was really
young at that time.

- He was 19 already.

(tense music)

- 19 is still young.

He was robbing somebody
with a gun for a gun.

But I'm really happy

that he didn't physically
hurt the other people.

- Well he was shooting and
that's not a little thing.

- No, it's not a little thing

and I'm not trying
to downplay it,

but you can read all the
court documents online.

You can read-
- Yeah, I did that.

- Yeah, I know.

- They only know each
other from writing.

It's just like in the internet.
You can write what you want.

Nobody knows what is true
and what is not true.

- Everybody makes mistakes

and some people
make small mistakes

and some people make
big mistakes and he
did a big mistake

and I'm sure that he will never,

ever do something
like this again.

- I hope so.

- I will never forget the face
of the men that I terrified

and it's not something
that I'm proud of.

I'm very shameful of it.
I served my time for it.

- Do we have trust in this?

- Yes, I have trust in him.

- Okay.
- I trust him. Yes.

- Normally, Svea is
a the kind of person,

she knows what she's doing.

She's not very
trusting in people

and therefore I was a
little bit surprised

but something happened.

(dramatic music)

Because of the emotion, I think.

- So in a couple days, Svea is
scheduled to come and see me.

I'm extremely happy. I'm
nervous, but I'm happy

- If something happens,
nobody will help you there.

You are alone there

in a country where you
have never been before.

- Yes.

- (sighs) Yes.

- My mom is scared for me
just because I'm her daughter.

She loves me a lot

and I'm travelling
all across the world

to meet somebody that I
have never seen before.

- It's not gonna be
real until I actually

hold her in my arms and
look her in the eyes

and tell her I love her.

- [Producer] Do you think
this is a genuine love

between them?

- I don't know. I don't know.

How can I say that?

Maybe they think it's
love. We will see.

(bright music)

- My name is Erin, I'm
33. I'm a hairdresser.

Cool. That worked out well.

Can I get you to sit up

a little bit more
on the chair for me?

I'm living in Australia now,

but in a few days I will be
relocating and moving to Ohio

to live with my boyfriend

who's gonna be
released from prison.

(harrowing music)
(prison doors rattle)

- I'm Michael, I'm 43 years old.

I was convicted of
robbery, burglary,

receiving stolen property.

I was sentenced to
eight and a half years.

- Michael and I
have been together

for almost three years now.

I've had relationships
before, but this is definitely

the most serious
relationship I've had.

It's so nice. It's not fair.

My hair's so flat and
stringy naturally.

- Erin made a world of
difference in my life.

I've never had like a real
close relationship with women.

Meeting her in here

was like the biggest
blessing, you know?

Now I'm not doing
it alone to get out.

Now I have that
person next to me

that I wanna spend the
rest of my life with.

(tense music)

- Today, I am gonna meet up
with my mom to have coffee.

We can have a catch up
about me moving to the US

and talk more about Michael.

Oh, you ordered my coffee.
- Oh. Yeah.

- I know she'll be
feeling nervous for me

because she's a mom and
that's what they do.

- I never, two years ago,

thought we'd be having
this conversation.

- Well, two and a half years
ago I didn't think so either.

Australia's great, but it's
just not where I wanna be.

I wanna be there with him.

- When I first started
seeing those letters coming

and then you said, "Oh,
I just have pen pals,

I thought it was really sweet
that you were doing that

as like a little
volunteer thing.

- Well it was, for a long time.

- The whole love thing

would've all eventuated
within six months?

- Yeah, I wanna say
within the first couple

of days I was like, "Oh
my god, I'm obsessed."

- Oh my God. The mother's
always the last to know.

(Erin laughs)

- The first time I went and
visited Michael in prison,

while I was nervous to meet him,

as soon as I walked
into the room

I just couldn't stop smiling.

Like it just solidified
what I already felt.

There was no doubt in my mind.

It could be six months,
it could be two years,

it could be 10 years, whatever.

I'm gonna be in America
with him one day.

- So is it gonna be weird
like to have no restrictions?

Like...

- Yeah, I'm worried
that he's gonna see me

just being me and be like,
"God, she's really weird."

Like those little
things that you do

when you come home after work.

Like whip your bra off and
you know, things like that

you do that you're comfortable.

'Cause I've been alone so
long and I'm not gonna be.

(gentle music)

- I think we're more alike
than she'd care to admit.

- [Erin] I was born
in New York state

and we moved to Australia
when I was seven.

- When I was 23 years old,

I fell in love with
this guy from Australia.

Got married. I moved
over to Australia.

I never even thought about
how my parents would feel

and now I know, it's
hard to let them go.

- What's at stake when
I move is, you know,

everything that I've
worked for here.

Job, money, friends and
family, it's all gone.

I'm doing it all again.

Starting fresh again
in another country.

Oh, a kiss as well.

- Be good.
- Thanks so much.

- Love you, darl.
- Bye.

(gentle music)

(bright music)

- You don't like it when
I go on holiday, do you?

My name is Emma.
I am 32 years old.

I'm a postlady and I'm
from London, England.

- [Producer] How are you feeling

about going out to see Curtis?

- Nervous 'cause I'll be
a wife when I come home,

which will be weird.

(dramatic music)

(prison doors rattling)

- Me and Emma, we've
been talking for two
and a half years.

In that two and a half years
I've changed so dramatically

that if you known
me from back then

you would be so surprised.

- (sighs) I know, I know.

My trainer game
is sick. (laughs)

The reason that I
actually even wrote

to Curt in the first place.

There's some more stuff.

Not even that long ago, I was
in a terrible relationship.

It was a violent relationship.

I really didn't want
to be with anybody.

I didn't wanna be with
anyone physically.

I didn't wanna date.

Writing to a prisoner allowed me

to be who I am,
grow as a person.

But it was kind of on my terms.

I was in a relationship with
him for about eight months

before I ever saw
him on a video.

All I saw was a picture
of him. (chuckles)

Six and a half months after
I started to write to Curt,

he proposed and we are
now engaged to be married.

(gentle music)

- Words can't even
really explain

the full effect
Emma had had on me.

That's why I want to marry her.

- When I actually wrote to Curt,

I was yeah, a complete mess.

I really was.

I fell in love with him

because I could be my
100% transparent self.

Although we've set
from completely
different backgrounds,

we've been able to take
things from those backgrounds

and apply them to each other
and make each other better.

As much as people
always say to me,

"You must have saved
Curt," he also saved me.

And I don't think, I'm
gonna get emotional,

I don't think people
see that, so yeah.

(gentle music continues)

I am actually getting married

whilst he's still incarcerated.

And I know many people will go,

"Why would you not just wait?"

We have to be married
so that he's my spouse

and we can apply
for the correct visa

in time for when he comes home.

I work like literally
seven days a week

to be able to afford
to go on a trip.

- [Producer] Would
it be a lot cheaper

to date somebody British?

- Yes.

Why did I even think that
this was a good idea,

I do not know.

I would say I spend about
2000 pounds per trip.

Maybe a little bit more.

The time and the money
involved, it's a lot.

That needs to go.

Have I ever thought,
"Why am I doing this?"

Every day. (chuckles)

I'm getting married in a prison,

but, I'm too far
invested now to give up.

Mama raised no quitter.

(gentle music)

My parents have never ever
entered a prison in their life.

The first time that
they see me get married,

I want my dad to be able
to walk me down the aisle

and see me in a dress and
do all of those things.

- Emma, what's going on, then?

- I am about to get married.

(dramatic music)

(gentle music)

- Emma, what's going on, then?
- I am about to get married.

- That quick?
- Yeah.

If you asked my
family and friends

what they thought
about this situation,

they would say, "It's
not the wildest thing

that Emma has done."

So I don't really know what
that says about me. (laughs)

You are obviously
not gonna be there

'cause it's just
gonna be me and him.

His mom has to come

because I have to
have witnesses.

This way, we get to do
like the spousal visa

so I can be there
obviously when he comes out

and then I don't have
to do long distance.

I would really like to have
a like a proper wedding like,

and have you guys come
out to the States,

obviously, when he is home,

but right now-
- Will that happen

do you think?
- Yeah, that will happen.

But right now this is the
way that it's gotta be.

- When we learned that Emma
was gonna be married in prison,

it was quite hard
for us to comprehend.

There's nothing we can do.

(subdued music)

- What's this guy
incarcerated for?

- He did carjacking and
he had a firearm on him.

Which isn't that scary

'cause everybody in
America has a firearm.

- Hmm.

- It was just a carjacking

and the carjacking itself was
like a family feud type thing.

So it's not like
he just went out

and stole some random
person's car off the street.

The person's car that it was,

I actually speak to,
like, it's his cousin.

It's a bit strange and
it's a bit confusing

'cause he's in prison
because of his own family.

I don't really see like
a victim of his crime.

Like he's not a mass murderer.

- Anybody who's been
incarcerated has a problem.

I've spoke to him
a couple of times.

He tried to impress me, which,
don't try, just be yourself.

If he's deep down not very nice,

well, we'll find out.

- When you were growing up,

we wanted you to be happy
and to marry normally,

but this is such a
strange situation.

How does his family feel?

How is his mom-
- So excited

and very supportive,
which is really nice.

- His mom gets to
see you get married.

- Yeah.
- And we don't.

- It's just the formalities
really, isn't it?

- It's still a wedding.
- Yeah.

- And every dad should be there.

- Yeah.

I don't really want my parents

to see me get married in
a prison really, actually.

- [Deborah] I am slightly
worried when he comes out.

- Mm.

- I just hope for your sake

that he really does
want to make it work.

You know, we've always taken
you back and given you-

- Swept up and-
- Swept up the broken pieces.

- I will do what I
wanna do regardless.

And if you tell me not to do it,

I'm gonna wanna do it even
more just so I can go,

"Ha, I've done it."

But this is a situation
where I'm pretty sure

pieces won't have
to be swept up.

- No, I really do
hope that they won't.

(dramatic music)

(tense music)

- I am boarding the aircraft
in this very minute.

(prison door rattles and slams)

I'm really excited.

I'm heading to the USA

and I'm taking the plane
from Frankfurt to Chicago.

(tense music continues)

I am really nervous

because I have never travelled
that far all by myself,

plus meeting Joseph's
grandma for the first time.

(tense music continues)

Hello, grandma.

- Hey, how are you?

- I'm okay. I'm just
around the corner.

I will be at your
house any second.

- Okay, okay. I can't
wait to see you.

- Can't wait to see you too.

It is really important for me

to get to know family
members of Joseph's

just because the more people
I get to know from his family,

they will just complete
the picture that I have.

(door knocks)
- Hello.

- Hi, Grandma. It's me.

- Hi.
- Hi, Grandma.

How you doing?

You look good, Grandma.
- Look at you.

Oh my goodness.

Joseph and I, we talk almost
every day. We are very close.

- My coat's stuck in the door.

(both laugh)

- He loves her because she's
been a major, major influence

in him wanting to go a
different route in his life.

Come on.

- [Joseph] My grandmother
was my mother.

- How was your trip?
- It was okay.

- You were okay?

- My mother would
leave me on the porch

and leave me on the curbside

and say she was
going to the store

and never come back.

- Oh my goodness. It's
so good to meet you.

Come here for a hug.

- My grandmother adopted
me when I was a baby.

Her and her husband David.

My mother was out doing
whatever she wanted to do.

My grandmother had a
house full of babies,

teenagers, and men.

She went out of her way to
try to raise these children.

- You're so pretty. Look at you.

- Thank you.
- For real, for real. Right.

- Thank you.

- Okay. And you are real, right?

(both laugh)
Okay.

(bright music)

(prison doors rattle and slam)

(bright music continues)

- Before I leave Australia,

I'm going to meet
my friend Bekki.

In the past when
I have told people

that were close to me

about having a partner
who is incarcerated,

sometimes people drop off.

- Hi, how are you?
- Good.

So it's really important
that I have the support.

Oh, I can't believe
I leave soon.

- Are you nervous? Excited?

- So it's crazy thinking
about leaving here.

I've seen these types
of relationships

and I've seen them not work out

and if it didn't work out
with him, it would be so sad.

- You need to have
like a backup plan

because you never
know what will happen.

I mean, he has been
in there for so long,

and I'm saying this as a friend.

It's really big
uprooting your whole life

for a man that
you've only met once.

(subdued music)
I am nervous for Erin,

as a friend would be.

She's definitely putting her
heart on the line for Michael.

She's moving away from everyone

and everything that
she's ever known

for someone that she's only
met once that is in prison.

Let's be honest.

How long was he out last time?

- A year.

(subdued music continues)

Michael's been
incarcerated before.

His first sentence
was like 15 years.

He got out and he went
back a year later.

- Are you worried
that he's going

to make the same
mistake and go back?

- He's a lot older now.

The way he puts it is he
didn't care about himself

and he didn't care about
what was happening.

He says now that he's
got something more

to like live for

and work towards-
- 'Cause of you?

- Yeah.

- I understand that
everyone makes mistakes

and everyone deserves
second chances.

I'm just worried that he may
go back like he did last time

and then Erin's over in
another country all by herself.

- Thinking about it is
hard, it just makes me sad.

And when I would get sad
on the phone with him,

he'd say, "Well you
know, I did this so.

Like I'm here for a reason

and I'm gonna do my time and
I'm gonna learn from it."

He's just such a lovely,
warm, funny person

and it sucks that he's there.

But I'm so glad that
he wants to be with me

because I don't know how anyone

could not fall in love with him.

- Well let's change the mood.
- Sorry.

- I got a little gift
for you and Michael.

You promise you cannot open this

until you are with Michael.

- Are you serious?
- Yes.

So what Erin doesn't know is
for the last couple of months,

Michael and I have
actually been making a plan

to get her an engagement ring.

So in the gift that
was given to her,

there's an engagement ring
that Michael picked out.

It has to be the day
that he gets released,

as soon as he gets released.

When he gets out,

he will be proposing
to her straight away.

And I'm so excited for that.

- Like walking out
into the carpark?

- Yes. Walking out
into the carpark.

- (laughs) Okay.

She got a gift for us that
we open up when he gets out.

That's so sweet.

Can I tell him?

- Yeah, you can tell him,

of course.
- Okay.

- I really do hope
that things work out.

I just hope that
Michael is genuine

and he treats her well.

Cheers to a new life.

(mellow music)
(sirens wailing faintly)

- Oh, I don't have my seatbelt.

- Yes ma'am. Put on
a seatbelt please.

Grandma suggested to go
visit the roller skating park

that Joseph used to work at.

- This is it right here.

- And we are meeting Kent there.

Kent is Joseph's cousin.

(tense music)

- This is where Joseph
spends most of his time.

This is his passion, skating.

Isn't that wonderful?
- It's so nice to be here.

- Isn't it?
- This is Kent.

- Hi, Kent.
- And this is Svea.

- Hi, how you doing? Nice
to meet you. (laughs)

Nice to meet you.

They fell in love with each
other. It definitely shocked me.

I like, I've heard
about her for years

and all of a sudden he's
like, "That's my girl now.

Like I'm gonna marry her.
That's who I'm gonna be with."

This is something he love to do.

This is what he spent all
his time at, really, like.

- I'm sure he misses
roller skating.

- Oh, he misses a
whole lot of things.

(Kent laughs)
Yes.

- I'm so happy to
finally be here.

I've been scared of
being with people

that I actually have
never met in person

because there's always a risk

that you don't get
along with them.

But it all feels really natural.

It is like another
part of the puzzle

to just get to know
him a little bit more.

He used to tell me
that he was skating,

but I was like, he just tries

to impress me in
some kind of way.

- No, no.
- No, no, no.

- But now that
everybody's confirming

that he was a
really good skater.

- Serious, he's a good skater.
- He's a good skater.

I feel that she's, you know,
really serious about it.

I don't think she
would've come all this way

just on a whim.

Why she chose
Joseph, I don't know.

But I'm happy that
she did. I really am.

- [Kent] And then for your
first time coming in here,

first time meeting him,
man, like this is huge.

This is huge.

A big, big step.
- Yeah.

Just witnessing that
everybody confirms

that he's actually a
really good person.

It just confirms what
I have experienced

and how I got to know him.

I'm feeling really excited to
meet him for the first time.

I just wanna know
what he looks like.

I wanna know what
he smells like.

You know, in Germany
we say, (speaks German)

It says, when you
cannot smell somebody,

it's like, you know,
maybe he looks good

and you like the way he talks.

But when he walks by and
you smell his body's scent

and it does not match,
you're grossed out.

I'm a weird person
but I really love,

I need to love his smell.

Yeah. (laughs)

(brooding music)

- So Michael gets
out in three days.

I am so ready to be with Michael

and walk around doing normal
things like holding his hand.

I have my entire life
in two suitcases.

- It blows my mind that somebody

would come all the way across
the world from Australia.

Just to not only visit me

but actually wanna
spend her life with me.

- [Erin] Nerves are
starting to hit me now.

- Sometimes it's baffling to me.

It's like, am I
really worth that?

(brooding music continues)

- I still can't believe

that you're literally
leaving your life behind.

- It still kind
of feels strange.

Like maybe it just
hasn't hit me.

Or maybe I just feel so scared.

- Oh are you getting
emotional? (laughs)

- Yeah.

- I was wondering when
it was going to hit you.

- There's some things going on

that are really
hard to talk about.

My child is staying in
Australia with their father.

He means the world to me.

But right now, I think that
at this point in his schooling

would be a bad
time to uproot him.

It's important that
he has that stability

while I'm building the
stability in America.

- [Bekki] Let's go. Are
you ready to do this?

- (sighs) I Don't
have a choice now.

- [Bekki] Good luck
with everything.

- [Erin] Saying
goodbye is really hard.

- I'm gonna miss you so much.

- You're gonna make me cry.

I just have to try
and be positive.

Which I'm not normally.

- Bye.
- Bye.

I am just so ready
to get on that plane.

- I'm definitely
concerned that Erin's

just decided to pack
up her life and move.

Michael has committed
crimes in the past

and he has recommitted

so there's always that concern
that he might do it again.

I'm just hoping that
everything works out

in the best-case scenario.

(subdued music)

(prison doors rattle)

- I think it's in this one.

(Emma chuckles)

You weren't rolling
your cameras were you?

They like to draw around
their private parts

in prison, apparently,
and send it in the mail.

Being with somebody
that is incarcerated,

there are very limited ways
that you can be intimate.

And what did I think
when I first saw you?

"He put what the (beep)?

There really is a god and he
really answered my prayers."

I like to use my imagination,
he likes to use his

and we like to do this
"spicy letter," we call them.

The top five things that
you have full permission

to brag about are: how
much we love each other,

how well we treat each other.

How good, I can't say that.

Okay, we'll leave that one.

- [Producer] What's
a spicy letter?

A spicy letter, how do I...?

An intimate letter.

Like things that you perhaps
like to do in the future.

Yeah. (laughs)

Although yes, I don't know
him in a physical sense

and what, you know, I don't know

if he is gonna leave
his pants on the floor.

I don't know those things.
But I know his worst fears.

I know what, you know,
his childhood traumas.

I know things that he's
not told anybody before.

I've not spent any time with
this man outside of prison

and I'm about to
get married to him.

It's a big thing

for somebody that I didn't
know to just listen to me

and listen to every
single problem that I had

and go, "Okay, we'll
figure it out."

And I'm like, "What? You're
not weirded out by that?"

And I think, yeah, that's the
attraction for a lot of women,

you know, if you've been
through (beep) stuff

is it's a way to have a
relationship on your terms,

I guess is what
I'm trying to say.

But yeah.

(subdued music)

Arriving in Ohio.

Yeah, it just doesn't feel real.

It's been so long just
talking about something

and now I'm actually here.

- Hi.
- Hi.

- How are you?
- Good.

- Everyone in Ohio is
really, really nice.

So I feel lucky that
this is the kind of area

that we're gonna
be in for a while.

(clock ticking)

17 hours, is 40 minutes, and
30 seconds till he comes home.

(phone chimes)

- [Operator] This call is from
a DRC correctional facility

and is subject to
monitoring and recording.

- Hello?
- Hi.

Are you excited?

- My case manager
told me that like

they're gonna send me
to a halfway house.

(dramatic music)

- No.

For weeks, I said what
if they make you go

and you said they won't.

It's a little hurtful

that you're not-
- That's what they said

I have to do so that's
what I'm gonna do.

All right, cool. Yep.

So just (beep) me, right?

- You're taking this
(beep) way too far

and it doesn't need
to be like this.

- I just moved countries.

This is fine. Don't
worry about it.

- You don't think
I've been sitting here

banging my head against the
wall all day thinking about it?

- I've just moved countries

and I think I might have
to be alone for a while.

- Sorry I had to
inconvenience you.

If you wanna argue about
it, we're not gonna do it.

- Sorry I can't just be chill

about the fact that
I was supposed to
take you home with me

and now probably not.

- Let's wait to
see what happens.

- All right, so tomorrow
I can lose my (beep)

when I have to drop you
off at a halfway house.

- Stop. That's all I got.

That's all the answer I got.

- I just moved from
another country.

- Stop throwing it in my
face. I know what you've done!

I know what we're in for.

If you hang up, I'm telling
you, don't come tomorrow.

- [Operator] You have
one minute remaining.

- Having somebody come all
the way across the world

from Australia to move
her whole world here

for somebody like me,
it takes a strong person

'cause it's not easy to
leave your whole life.

- I love you.

- I love you, too.

- [Operator] Thank
you for using GTL.

- Michael can't
come home with me.

He has to go to a halfway house.

I'm here and his
first night out,

I'm by myself.

(subdued music)

- If it doesn't look good,

I will just put
'em in a ponytail.

I don't care.

I'm really excited to meet
Joseph for the first time.

A lot of people,
they don't understand

how I can love somebody that
I have never met in person.

But it's just, I have not
seen him with my eyes.

I have not touched him with
my hands. But I do know him.

I actually did not choose
to fall in love with Joseph.

And when I'm really sad,
sometimes I do ask myself,

"Why am I doing all of this?

Like you could just put up
a Tinder account, you know,

go on nice fancy dates."

But in the end of the day,
Joseph is my soulmate.

That's why I just
hold on to this dream

because I know that
he gets out soon

and he will try
everything possible

to create this life
that we dream of.

Yeah.

- [Operator] This call is
from a corrections facility

and is subject to
monitoring and recording.

- Hey, your prison is
really on the countryside.

- [Joseph] So you just want
the farm life or city life?

- I like the farm
life, you know?

- [Joseph] It'd be dope

if we could like
ride horses together,

talk out our issues
and stuff like that.

- We don't have issues.

- We don't have issues
when we have ten kids?

- I'm not having no 10 kids.
I already told you about that.

- [Joseph] Eight, and
that's my final answer.

It's non-negotiable.

- It's not negotiable.
Not at all.

- I love you.

- I love you too. See
you soon. (kisses)

- [Operator] Thank
you for using-

(Svea chuckles)

- I'm excited. I'm
just ready to see him.

(gentle music)

If this is not working out,

I will never, ever talk
to a prisoner again

because this relationship
is really challenging.

It's so hard like when
you have a bad day

and you talk to him on the phone

and you just want him
to hug you or something

and that's not possible.

It's really, it's really,
really frustrating.

Yeah.

(gentle music continues)

I've been waiting one and a
half years to finally meet him

and now, finally, I'm here
and it's about to happen.

I'm really happy.

I just can't wait to
finally see him in person.

(gentle music continues)

(frogs croaking)

(prison doors thud)

(tender music)

- Michael gets out of prison
after eight and a half years.

- [Producer] Are you
excited to see Michael?

- Yes.

I think excited is
like an understatement.

But I found out Michael might
have to go to a halfway house

and he's assured me
it's gonna be fine.

We'll sort it out.

I'm trying to feel grateful
for the fact that he gets out

and I'm gonna try my hardest
not to make him feel worse.

I know in this instance
I just need to step up

and do a better job

'cause he's so good at just
putting his (beep) aside

and I'm gonna try
and do that today.

I'm just so sad for him.

God forbid if he
doesn't get out.

I don't, I just,
again, my brain's like,

"What's the worst
that could happen,"

because it's
happening right now.

(uplifting music)

Okay.

I have thought about
this day for 1,004 days.

It still doesn't quite feel real

that I'm gonna go get him now

and he's gonna be
in the car with me.

(phone chimes)

- [Operator] This call is from
a DRC correctional facility-

- Oh, it's Michael.

- [Operator] And is subject
to monitoring and recording.

- Hello.
- Hi, honey.

- Hey.
- Hey. What's wrong?

- They came and got
everybody but me.

They said that my paperwork
didn't come from Columbus.

And I'm like, "Well what
the (beep) does that mean?"

And they said, "Well,
it'll be the same day.

We just don't know when now.

I don't know what
the (beep) to do.

(serious music)

- Coming out from
being incarcerated.

It can be really unsettling.

- It's okay honey 'cause
we'll be there regardless.

It doesn't matter
when you get out.

It's okay.

- Since I've met Erin,

outta all the years I've done,

it's been the hardest
three years of my life

just because I have so
much outside of here

to look forward to.

And I just can't get to it.

- I'm not (beep) happy about it.

- I know honey.

- They've had years to
get this (beep) ready.

- How long does it take to get
the paperwork from Columbus?

- Erin, you're asking me
questions I have no answers to.

- All right.
- I'm already frustrated.

- I know.
- I don't have any answers.

- I'm sorry.
- What I told you

is what I know right now.

- It's all right baby
'cause when you get out

I'm gonna be there
and we've got clothes.

You can get changed.

All right?
- All right. I'm gonna go.

- Baby. I'm gonna be there-
- I'm gonna go.

- regardless of... can.

I'm gonna be there soon so-

- Okay! I'm gonna go!

I'll talk to you
in a little bit.

- Just stop and let me,

just, let me speak for a second.

I'm five minutes away-
- Yeah, I love you.

- It doesn't matter
how long it takes.

I love you.

- [Operator] Thank
you for using GTL.

- Cool. Awesome.

Love this. Did I
manifest that, maybe?

(gentle serious music)

(gasps) Oh my god.
It's right there.

Whoa, the like anxiety

just like took on a
whole other level.

(dramatic music)

(prison door thuds)

- [Producer] How'd it go?

- It was good. I'm freezing.

It was really, really nice.

It was wonderful.

(tender music)

He was really, really
nervous, I could tell.

I walked towards him and I
gave him a really big hug.

He hugs me really,
really tight and strong.

It was a little bit
painful, I think.

It was a lot of love that
he was giving me. (chuckles)

The picture that I have

or what I know about
him is like complete.

It reassured me that he's
the person I really love

and that I wanna spend
the rest of my life with.

And I really feel
more comfortable now.

Not everything needs to
make sense to everybody.

There are a lot of
things on this world

that I don't understand
and I'm okay with that.

And I do believe a lot of people

don't understand why I'm in a
relationship with a prisoner

living in a whole
nother country.

And that should be fine too.

But when it comes
to a relationship
that's all about love,

I think people should just
be happy for one another.

I do like his smell,
by the way. (laughs)

Yeah. I do like his scent.

(gentle music continues)

(serious music)

(prison door thuds)

(Erin exhales sharply)

- While I am waiting outside.

It took a little while
for it to feel real still.

I'm standing there
with his brother.

Are you excited?

- Yeah, it's been a long time

since I seen my little brother.

(gentle music)

- It's a really
long walk as well.

So I'm be standing here-
(Jeremy laughs)

Like the tension in my
neck right now is wild.

(beep).

I like see him coming
out of the doors.

Can you see him?
- Yeah.

- He's right there.

- How you feeling?
- Excited.

- I'm trying really hard not

to like look at him coming
up 'cause I'm gonna cry.

I could see the
emotion on his face.

- [Michael] Tough one
without my mom, you know?

- He couldn't be there with
his mom before she passed.

He prayed every night
that he could get out

so he could say goodbye to her.

And he's so mad at himself that
he took that away from her.

- I could see Erin
and my brother

like all the way at the
end of the parking lot.

I got emotional

(gentle music)

'cause all I could think
about, I wanted my mom there.

And I know how happy she
would've been to see me get out.

- Oh he looks so nice.

- After meeting Erin
and figuring out,
you know, who she was

and she just, she felt
like she could finally go

because there was somebody
there to take care of me.

Yeah, it felt good to know that.

(uplifting music)

- Can I hug him first?
- Yeah.

- Hi.
- Hi, baby.

- [Erin] Oh, (beep).

- [Michael] Being able to hold
Erin like that as a free man

and just like be
right there with her.

- [Erin] I can't believe
your finally here.

- [Michael] The only
thing you can think about

was how much I love her.

- You even did your hair.

Oh you're so handsome.

(gentle music)
- I'm on my way home.

Our dream has come true.

- He lost 11 years
of his his life.

He's seeing how hard it is
to put it back together.

- I'm not the centre
of attention anymore.

- As long as I'm on camera

she gonna tell me she love
me so I'm good with that.

- I think I'm only nervous

'cause I don't know
what's about to happen.

My last single walk.

I wish everybody
could actually see

how I felt on my
wedding night. (sobs)

- [Svea] This can't be real.
This can't be happening.

- [Michael] I can't wait
to make her my whole life

and make her my whole world

and show her how
much I care for her.

- Jamal is in prison for
second degree murder.

I'm not gonna make
it to the wedding.

Let's (beep) go.

And I'm gonna get
married. (beep)

- KJ and I spoke.

Three days later, he
asked me to marry him.

Let's go and get married.

- [Inmate] I was
sentenced to 50 years.

- I don't want you to be fake.

I want you to tell
me how you feel.

- I don't want to watch life
go by. I just want him home.

I'm gonna go do this.

Oh my god.