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It's a series I missed when it was first shown, so have started watching it.
Currently part way through the second series, but can't say that it's really grabbing me.
Does it get better?
For reference, I watched all of The Wire before starting with The Sopranos.
You lasted a whole series longer than me!
I think it's one of the best. Part of the holy trinity: Sopranos/Breaking Bad/The Wire.
It’s phenomenal, stick with it it’s a journey and a half
Why stick with it if you don’t like it? Not that there’s not a massive choice these days. Just watch something else.
It’s utterly fantastic from start to finish
If you’re not loving it by now then it’s probably not for you. It’s very consistent throughout so don’t expect much to change
I think my attention span has changed, I seem to give up on more TV just now and find myself stop starting lots of box sets rather than giving things time to develop.
I loved the Sopranos and the characters, but at the time I watched it there wasn’t so much around so probably stuck through the flat episodes. Breaking Bad was the same, there were times when it was hard to stick with it,but as a complete series I ended up enjoying it a lot.
I'm yet to watch sopranos. I've tried watching the wire 3 times but not managed to stay the course, funny, because breaking bad got me straight away.
Hmm, as you say if I'm not into it by now it's probably not for me.
I’ve watched the first series, I don’t know how many times and never got any further. I want to like it but it never quite hooks me in. Whereas the wire I went from start to finish without skipping a beat.
Horses for courses I guess.
Best series ever.
I really struggled with breaking bad I think around series 2-3 but I'm glad I persevered. I'd say it's worth it with The Sopranos too.
It's the best thing I have ever watched on television, in fact it's pretty much ruined telly for me as nothing has ever been as good. Have watched it through twice, with about a six year gap in between, loved it both times.
Saying that, if you're halfway through the second series and it's not got you, it's unlikely to.
The Wire is a close second. Could watch that a second time too.
Breaking Bad was good, but not great.
Yep, deffo part of the Holy Trinity of TV dramas. Breaking Bad is definitely third for me and I flip between the Sopranos and the Wire as one and two.
I tried to watch through the Sopranos twice and just couldn’t get in to it. It was too slow, too violent and had too much unnecessary swearing.
Tried it for a third time and was completely hooked in. One of the best tv series ever
Maybe you’re just not ready yet?
Loved it, great characters and you can’t help rooting for Tony even though he is a vile human.
Same with the Wire
Couldn’t get into Breaking Bad, won’t force it, the time may yet come.
That series when he's in the hospital is poor in comparison to the rest. Loses its way somewhat.
Strong finish though.
The greatest TV programme ever. The character development and story line depth has yet to be equaled never mind bettered IMHO. Must have watched the entire series 5 plus times and now just on the last episodes of season 6 and still finding nuggets that I missed all the previous times. The dark humour is so good and the violence is utterly brutal at times portraying the shocking ruthlessness of the character's.
All the other classic TV shows of recent times are excellent but none of them had James Gandolfini.
For those that know - Pine Barrens 😂
I remember struggling to engage with the early seasons of Sopranos, then became hooked. I recall thinking it was too focused on Tony bickering with his Mum at the start, once she was out the picture it was much better*
(* Its ****in obvious thats coming eh?...so hope thats not a spoiler)
I've recommended it before, but the Talking Sopranos podcast is absolutely fantastic. Hosted by Steve Schrippa (Bobby Baccala) and Michael Imperioli (Christopher Moltisanti)
They go through each episode, have guests on that started in it, wrote it, directed it etc. The amount of subtlety in the show is quite staggering and they share so many insights about making it.
I watched the 1st ep of breaking bad and killed it.
Breaking Bad is definitely third for me and I flip between the Sopranos and the Wire as one and two.
Likewise. Also really enjoyed David Simon's Treme and The Deuce.
theres a film prequel of the Soprano's due this year starring James Gandolfini's son as young Tony.
I watched it in the first lockdown and was massively underwhelmed. I just don’t think it’s aged well.
That said I thought the wire and breaking bad were equally as bad so I guess those genres just aren’t my thing.
I recall thinking it was too focused on Tony bickering with his Mum at the start, once she was out the picture it was much better*
I thought his relationship with his mother was one of the highlights of the whole thing. She was an amazing character, played brilliantly (not that she was alone in that, they pretty much all were)
For those that know – Pine Barrens
For those that know – "You again, with the rape of the culture" 🙂
I loved it when first released. Bought the complete box set on itunes a couple of years ago and haven't been motivated to plough through much of it.
I think it was ground breaking at the time, that and the west wing really raised the game for television to compete with movies for big budget quality. But many of the themes and characterisations have been repeated and done to death since that it just feels old and nothing special anymore.
The wire took me a few episodes to get into, and while well done it is the pacing that really makes it stand out, The acting, dialogue and characterisations are good but not great, it would have just been an average cop show, but the pacing of the plot was exceptional and just left you wanting to find out what happened in the next episode every time.
Breaking bad I never liked and only managed a few episodes.
Currently part way through the second series, but can’t say that it’s really grabbing me
The Sopranos is pretty consistent all the way through so if you aren't into it by now it's maybe not for you.
"Pine Barrens" makes me chuckle just thinking about it.
The wire took me a few episodes to get into, and while well done it is the pacing that really makes it stand out, The acting, dialogue and characterisations are good but not great
The dialogue is the most outstanding thing about The Wire. Next you'll be saying you don't think the dialogue in Deadwood is up to much!
I watched it when it first came out. It redefined TV, led to numerous inferior copycats of the tormented antihero genre. Amazing cast, great dialogue. If you aren't into it, then you aren't into it, but it really was groundbreaking. It goes top of my list for greatest TV shows ever because it did it first. The Wire was generally excellent, season 4 was probably the best season of TV ever, but season 5 was a bit lazy and cliched and season 2 was a bit slow.
Tony Soprano's mother was an amazing character, you start off feeling sorry for her because she's a demented old lady, then you realize what a monster she is.
My favorite line from the whole show, Quasimodo:
Also the "stigmata" line
Plus, Pauli's ranting about wet shoe laces.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=64CVhTw_92Y
@IHN Yeah indeed - Tonys relationship to his mum is central to the whole of the series. I think this is where people might struggle with The Sopranos as opposed to other TV dramas where in the loosest sense 'action' is the attraction. The Sopranos is the story of a hugely dysfunctional family that happen to be mafia and how they justify and cope with all its aspects on day to day basis. How this is crafted by David Chase & the writers is genius. So many lines.
"..from beyond the grave..."😳😂
I wonder if it seemed so great at the time because there was nothing else like it, and ... most importantly... you had to wait A WEEK! before the next episode came around..!
Then you'd get that anticipated "scratch" noise at the end of Got Maself a Gunnn and away, back into the mafioso world. It just ain't the same watching one after the other, skipping over the theme music..
I wouldn't consider Breaking Bad in the same class. It was ok, but just a whole bunch of silliness in comparison. Only got round to watching BB during the first lockdown, out of boredom.
Only thing that sticks in my mind was how bad the episode chasing a fly around the lab was. 😆
Tony Soprano’s mother was an amazing character, you start off feeling sorry for her because she’s a demented old lady, then you realize what a monster she is.
How this is crafted by David Chase & the writers is genius
SPOILER ALERT: David Chase's mother was an absolute nightmare, and he created The Sopranos because of this.
Currently part way through the second series, but can’t say that it’s really grabbing me
The Sopranos is pretty consistent all the way through so if you aren’t into it by now it’s maybe not for you.
Agreed, there's no point dragging yourself through 90 hours of TV if it's not for you, just because it's popular.
I personally love it, it's not quite in the same league as The Wire for me, but I must have watched it through, 4-5 times. I don't want to sound like a Hipster, but I actually watched it the first time on VHS, buying a tape at a time (2 eps on each) because they were only showing it in the early hours on some mad Sky channel at the time.
It's easier now, lots of TV is like this but back in the day (I can't believe it's more than 20 years old now) it was hard to really fathom, there's no one to cheer for. Tony is a murdering, petty, nasty psychopath. His Wife, who is probably the most evil person in the whole series, seems nice at first, but you soon realise she's a complete narcist. His kids are horrible, the most decent people are probably his crew, at least they're mostly honest about their horribleness.
It's more realistic than most TV, no one is 100% good, and no one is 100% bad. Even the worst characters occasionally get a few moments of being decent.
Even now, 20 years and 5 rewatches in, when I put an episode on there's always a detail I missed (or maybe forgot).
I'm looking forward to the Prequal Film, whenever it comes.
So many lines.
"Cunnilingus and psychiatry brought us to this"
His Wife, who is probably the most evil person in the whole series, seems nice at first, but you soon realise she’s a complete narcist.
Whaaaat?!
His kids are horrible,
Eh?!
There you go, complex characters that can be read differently by different people
The dialogue is the most outstanding thing about The Wire
It's certainly one thing about the Wire I love, I love it because it's hard to watch.
It's not like most TV when a character has to awkwardly explain to another what a re-up is, or a gel cap, or why in Balitmore someone is "a police" or if they're really good "natural Police" in fact, it's more like "Po-lease".
It's minute one of episode one, with McNualty talking to Peanut about how "they'd didn't have to do him like that" as he caulks off Snot-Boogie because he got clapped for grabbing up the ground pot. It takes about 3 episodes to work out wtf he said in the first one, and that's only after you get an ear for the accent.
I loved the Sopranos but The Wire is off the scale better, truly a modern epic.
The bit where the kid goes off with the smack head horse people, the bit where the girl gangster asks if her hair looks good before being killed, the death of Omar, even the very end when Marlow realises he can’t escape his violent tendencies though he’s now rich. Wonderful.
I can highly recommend Donald Glovers 'Atlanta' think it's back on iplayer. For me this is now second to The Sopranos as I've rewatched it numerous times and as with The Sopranos 'the action' is in the writing, characters and its breathed of context & nuance. Its also very funny but deeply moving & poignant.
McDrunky from The Wire
Drunk Bunk
His Wife, who is probably the most evil person in the whole series, seems nice at first, but you soon realise she’s a complete narcist.
Whaaaat?!
Yup, 😉 this is not a stance I've taken lightly or come to quickly.
My problem with her is she believes she's an innocent, the old "butter wouldn't melt act" as my Mum would say, as she lives in her ghastly plastic palace.
As the series progresses, we learn she's not as innocent as she'd like to think, it's subtle as first, but it's clear when Tony is forced to explain to her that someone has been killed, it's not a new thing, it's a shock, but it only takes her a few moments for her to rationalise it as she's done many times before.
Within a few series we learn she knows it's all paid for with theft, extorsion and murder, but she chooses to live in denial. If that was it, she probably wouldn't make the top 10 of Evil in the Sopranos, but she's much worse than that. She's a good Church going Christian, until the moment some small inconvenience comes her way, when she's more than willing to ask, in fact nag and force Tony to use his influence to lean on someone to get her way, knowing that it could, in fact will likely mean violence and even murder.
She enjoys the odd pity party now and again, she cries about Tony and "where he gets his money" as if she doesn't know, but she does, but it's only ever after she's been embarrassed by his infidelity, which she's accepting of, unless it embarrasses her socially and they separate for a time, but she's unwilling to give up the material gains from all the violence and murder.
The one time she speaks to someone outside of her social bubble, who all are accepting of violence criminal acts, if with a heavy dose of denial (I include their usual Priest) an African-American Priest who explains that whilst Divorce is a sin, it's a greater sin to continue to live with a Violent Criminal and benefit from his evil, and she should not only divorce him, but free herself from the trappings of that life as she has blood on her hands, she quickly snaps out of it, and takes Tony back. Tony's apologies come with very expensive stolen jewels which she loves and a new Porsche 4x4, which she can't wait to clumsily show of to someone she usually doesn't socialise with, because her Husband, who was senior to Tony has been arrested and they're in a Legal and Financial crisis.
The efforts of the entire Sopranos crew are focuses towards giving money to Tony, Carmella benefits the most from, from most of the evil acts that happen in the series, but she claims to be innocent. She's got as much blood on her hands as Tony, but she's also a hypocrite.
I loved the Sopranos but The Wire is off the scale better, truly a modern epic.
The bit where the kid goes off with the smack head horse people, the bit where the girl gangster asks if her hair looks good before being killed, the death of Omar, even the very end when Marlow realises he can’t escape his violent tendencies though he’s now rich. Wonderful.
Yep, it was especially hard seeing Dookie's demise, he was an innocent, a smart kid with a Junkie mother. I liked the episode when he tries to get a straight job, but the former Corner Kid / Banger, has to explain he's took young to work in a Sneaker Shop, so he'll have to keep selling Heroin for a few more years until he's old enough to get a legal job. You can tell he's going to be the next Bubbles whilst he mate Mike is going to be the next Omar.
what like the guy who is a bit short on dosh, so raids his mother's elderly friend's under-the-mattress stash, only she comes home unexpectedly so gets strangled to death and then he jauntily saunters out with the cash? 🤣the most decent people are probably his crew
Agree the mum/kids are horrible people, not unexpected though given what they're exposed to even if they started out decent. Made the show really interesting as there's definite character progression (even if it's all bad!) Don't think there's a single uncorrupted character by the end... didn't even the FBI guy end up doing Tony a favour?!
loved the Sopranos but The Wire is off the scale better, truly a modern epic.
True dat,all in the game yo,all in the game
Another that has tried and failed, having watched the Wire and BB first. I expect it's just a bit dated for me.
May try Deadwood.
what like the guy who is a bit short on dosh, so raids his mother’s elderly friend’s under-the-mattress stash, only she comes home unexpectedly so gets strangled to death and then he jauntily saunters out with the cash? 🤣
Agree the mum/kids are horrible people, not unexpected though given what they’re exposed to even if they started out decent. Made the show really interesting as there’s definite character progression (even if it’s all bad!) Don’t think there’s a single uncorrupted character by the end… didn’t even the FBI guy end up doing Tony a favour?!
I forgot about Paulie doing that, Bobby almost gets through it innocent, a bit of intimidation here and there, but Tony orders him to kill someone.
The FBI guy warns Tony there's a hit out on him, I think that's it.
Another that has tried and failed, having watched the Wire and BB first. I expect it’s just a bit dated for me.
May try Deadwood.
Yep, don't bother with dated Dramas based on the 90s and 00s, go for a fresh one set in the 1800s 😉
I'm kidding, Deadwood is excellent, and there's even a Feature Length conclusion now, it got cancelled a series early.
The Deuce is another good one that usually free to watch on-demand if you've got Sky / NowTV, its from the guy who made The Wire, its a 3 series story arc, it's dark, gritty, sad like the Wire, but has lighter moments, and doesn't require you to know a lot of Drug Dealer speak to watch. It's not as good as the Wire and didn't make nearly the same impact, but it's good.
His Wife, who is probably the most evil person in the whole series
Nope.
Janice, his sister, takes that award
I'm genuinely baffled by the people saying Breaking Bad is in the same league as The Sopranos and The Wire. It's repetitive, lazy nonsense, with entire seasons devoted to Walter going "I won't make meth, I won't make meth, I won't make meth... Oh go on then" in minute detail, and a wife who's just a caricature of an actual character.
For me the best 3 TV series are The Sopranos, The Wire and maybe controversially, Bosch which feels like it has similar story pacing and character development to The Wire. The Shield is the best of the rest
My ranking of TV shows.
1. Sopranos (because it did it first)
2. The Wire (because it had a couple of lazy seasons and The Sopranos did it first)
3. The Americans
4. Deadwood
5. Breaking Bad (this is where they go from awesome to just very good)
6. Battlestar Galactica (had a lot of lazy episodes, but was amazingly good)
7. Game of Thrones (first three seasons would have beaten Deadwood, but it limped to a sad, pathetic conclusion)
8.Succession (This may end up #5 before it's finished)
There are some other great shows, like Watchmen, Russian Doll, and Counterpart, but they were only a season or two, so didn't sustain the greatness.
Bosch and Southland were solid shows, but not quite at the same level. Same with The Deuce. They get a B+, the shows above are all solid A grade to A++
There are also some shows that I just never got round to watching that I should. Madmen and Atlanta, for starters.
I got bored of Sopranos after a few seasons.
Dexter was better.
The wire and game of thrones I would say are the best series ever, for different reasons.
I found Dexter dull also!
Am surprised no one is mentioning Six Feet Under, that's in my top 3.
Madmen is another I didn't get.
Some things just don't take a second watch though do they... I was really chuffed when Generation Kill was repeated recently. I swear it was one of the best series I'd seen in my life! Watched it all again.. and, well, it was good, but not brilliant.
Madmen is another I didn’t get.
I forgot about Mad Men. I really wanted to like that and tried a couple of times but just couldn't get into it much. Not sure I got past the first season, should I give it another go? I was giving up smoking when I first saw it though...
Regarding 'The Big Three' - they all have weak points, subjective or not. A lot of people moan about S2 of The Wire being boring for example, but that's one of my favourite seasons and It really works in the full context of the body of work. I get bored with that whole dream-sequence bit in The Sopranos. There's also a bit in BB which always gets on my nerves - we're led to believe that Gus Fring is an all-powerful, ultra-cautious, shadowy villain, but then he puts everything on the line to defend those two street dealers that Walter ends up running over.
Yeah, I think after the Sopranos, it'd be The Wire, Mad Men and The West Wing in some kind of changing order depending what kind of mood I was in.
The last couple of series of GoT really, really let it down, especially the final one which was absolute pish. It could have made my top five if it had continued on it's early level, but probably barely scrapes top fifteen in the end.
The Wire is my all time favourite, enjoyed Breaking Bad apart from the 3rd series and we've just caught up with The Bridge, which is now up there too.
I gave up the Sopranos around series 5 or 6, just got tired of watching Tony make the same mistakes, shame really, its really good but we only have an hour most nights and don't like to waste it.
I think the Sopranos was fantastic, it is slow but then again many shows like it and the Wire are.
I loved Breaking Bad, lots of little subtle things you have pick up on in re-watching, but for Better Call Saul is even better, so well written.
Currently watching Band of Brothers / the Pacific on the turbo a the moment, i forgot just how well written that was and the amazing cast that launched so many now famous people (noticed Gwyneth Paltrow in it yesterday for a total of 8 seconds).
Other TV series that have stood up as i have rewatched them on turbo:
The Shield
Firefly
Battlestar Galactica
Hell on Wheels
the amazing cast that launched so many now famous people (noticed Gwyneth Paltrow in it yesterday for a total of 8 seconds).
Gwyneth Paltrow was famous way before BoB/The Pacific came along, are you sure it was her?
The last couple of series of GoT really, really let it down, especially the final one which was absolute pish. It could have made my top five if it had continued on it’s early level, but probably barely scrapes top fifteen in the end.
It should be noted that in GOT, the TV series was going way faster than the writer could write properly. So they rushed the story and pumped out the last series with new writers, with the origeonal writer just providing advice on a consultative basis.
Noted. It still went to pish.
Tried both the wire and sopranos in recent times but can't get past an episode or two. It does seem dated which doesn't help but I'm disappointed with myself so will try again. Seems like it requires concentration which, as others have mentioned, isn't my strong point these days.
A mate swears by Sopranos as the best telly ever.
No accounting for taste! I found Firefly utter dross, Battlestar Galactica mediocre sci fi. Agreed re last season of GoT. Paltrow well established in 90s (Sliding Doors for one)
Gwyneth Paltrow was famous way before BoB/The Pacific came along, are you sure it was her?
Discussed here, i know very little about her, but it was clearly, she plays a lady who has slept with Nazi officers, so is stood by side of the road with head shaved and holding her child, episode 4, apparently it is littered with little cameos, like Jimmie Fallon
https://www.tigerdroppings.com/rant/movie-tv/band-of-brothers/9348133/page-4/
Firely was fun, a bit tounge in cheek, I thought, i liked it. it could have had some legs if they developed the story but it was cancelled after series 1.
the story was the worst thing about it, just cliched bollox! It was great because it was a MOTW show like the A-team, only a western, and in space 🤣Firely was fun, a bit tounge in cheek, I thought, i liked it. it could have had some legs if they developed the story
It was probably easier to concentrate on them at the time (especially Sopranos) because there was very little other good telly on to get distracted by! Much more difficult now. I also watched it weekly over a much longer time period than you spend if you binge-watch a show now. I think when you watch a show like that you become much more invested in the characters and spend the time between the episodes thinking about and discussing what might happen - now you just immeadiately crank up the next episode to see! So you are less "involved" in the show. Probably the only other show I've watched religiously every week like that was GoT.Tried both the wire and sopranos in recent times but can’t get past an episode or two. It does seem dated which doesn’t help but I’m disappointed with myself so will try again.
I'm having another go at Breaking Bad, its okay but I keep getting the urge to find Malcolm in the Middle and rewatch that instead.
The Sopranos is amazing, I remember the double bill on C4 with Oz afterwards, two very intense drama series.
The Wire is up there and I'd put Deadwood in my top three as well.
I'm not sure there was another golden age of TV, I just think The Sopranos ushered in bigger budgets to TV shows which was no bad thing. Outside of The Shield I think I've preferred the Scando TV shows more than British or American dramas in recent years.
1. Sopranos (because it did it first)
The first truly gritty adult drama that I can remember was Oz, which I feel was truly ground breaking. I have thoroughly enjoyed most if not all of the series mentioned above, but I think my favourite has to be Deadwood.
The first truly gritty adult drama that I can remember was Oz
Twin Peaks was the real starter
3. The Americans
8.Succession (This may end up #5 before it’s finished)
Yes, both of these are great. Breaking Bad is very watchable but it's fluff compared to a lot of others and Better Call Saul is better TV.
6. Battlestar Galactica (had a lot of lazy episodes, but was amazingly good)
I'm a big sci-fi fan but lost interest after a few series.
Anyone watch Halt and Catch Fire? A parallel history of the computer/tech boom - the first series was sort of an interesting history and I thought it got better and better as it went on.
While the US might have been the driving force in big budget quality TV. IMO "Life on Mars" should be on the list of best "quality" tv shows, unfortunately its legacy has probably been diluted by the inferior ashes to ashes.
I thought his relationship with his mother was one of the highlights of the whole thing.
I thought it was a scene-setter that dragged on too long. Important to the story and character of Tony, but was relieved she when she finally passed away, although maybe that was the intention! .....But I agree about her character being played excellently
The Wire just tops it for me, although the final season was nowhere near as good as the rest. The Sopranos ending was genius.
IMO - (for all The Wire fans) Homicide: Life on the Street is worth re-watching
There is a brilliant cut in the Sopranos. Carmela is admiring architecture in Paris cuts to Pauli requesting birds**t be cleaned off the sign outside Bada Bing. Small detail, but comic perfection in timing.
Has anyone mentioned Boardwalk Empire yet?
Definitely up there with the Sopranos for me.
House Of Cards was a cracker too.
Whatever happened to Kevin Spacey?
There is a brilliant cut in the Sopranos.
Is there more to that than one character being appreciative of culture, the other not and being about business?
Think it's just the juxtaposition* between the opulent Paris architecture and back down to earth with a shit-covered tiittybar sign in New Jersey.
*hate that word. Must learn another.
I tried to watch it after people kept going on about it. Didn’t get past the first series. Just found it to be really boring in plot, acting and the way it was shot. Appreciate that it opened up the long form TV series, just not for me. Absolutely loved The Wire and have watched the whole thing three times. I think that Spiral and the first series of The Killing (proper one, not the shit US version) are up there for me too.
Breaking Bad is okay, but I still see him has Hal from Malcolm in the Middle. Takes the edge off a bit. Fargo, first three series of Vikings and Better Call Saul are other favourites.
The Sopranos is fantastic and does get better, but it is of its time and many of the themes are explored commonly today (peaky blinders, Yellowstone, Billions). The whole less than human protagonist, screwed up family values...
But it was ground-breaking, deliciously entertainingly and extremely well put together.
One of the best endings to a series ever in my opinion!
The Shield is the best of the rest
The ending of the Shield was the best telly I've ever seen. So many questions asked just by Vic walking out of a room.
Sopranos is superb, still regularly get sucked in to a couple of episodes when channel surfing.
BB? Meh, still have not finished it, think I lost interest towards the back end of series 3.
Not started The Wire yet.
Used to really love the sopranos but never saw the last few seasons, didn't it go from C4 to sky? Think that was why I stopped watching. I notice is still not free on prime and not on Netflix.
Sons of Anarchy, really very very good.... Indeed.
I thought it was a scene-setter that dragged on too long
She died after the end of the 2nd series. They did some very ropey CGI in the 2nd episode of the 3rd series to give her an on screen ending.
The whole thing was effectively 7 seasons long seeing as the last series was double the length of every other, so she was in it for 2 seasons out of 7.
. I notice is still not free on prime and not on Netflix.
Not available on streaming stuff outside of Sky as they have the Sky Atlantic deal with HBO. Although you can buy the box set on different streaming platforms, but it's not available for viewing without you paying for it