15. "I'll go ahead and say the movie versions of the characters were not fuck..." In response to In response to 0
From a storytelling/dramatic perspective, it would fuck up the effectiveness of the story.
For one, Henry's own infidelity is what sets up him going to prison. Particularly Karen flipping out over it. The scene where she and the kids visit him in prison and her whylin' out because she sees his mistress has visited him would be pointless if she was fucking Paulie at the time.
Second, it would dilute the power of Henry's "betrayal" of Paulie at the end. Him flipping on Jimmy makes sense; the guy was going to kill him. But we're supposed to be feel bad that he has to rat out Paulie, the guy who was his father figure and was trying to look out for him the entire time. If he's fucking Henry's wife on the low, then that dynamic completely changes.