BOOK REVIEW: All the Pieces Matter: The Inside Story of The Wire

Courtesy of Crown Archetype

I’m a big fan of oral histories, particularly how they demonstrate that our perspective of important events depends on who’s telling the story. For me, the king of the genre remains Live From New York, James Andrew Miller and Tom Shales’ remarkable account of four decades of Saturday Night Live. However, a book that hit stores on Tuesday gives it a run for its money.

All the Pieces Matter: The Inside Story of The Wire, by journalist Jonathan Abrams, chronicles the making and cultural impact of perhaps the greatest drama in the history of television. When The Wire, David Simon’s magnum opus debuted on HBO in 2002, almost nobody noticed. The ratings were dismal and although critical reception was positive, the reviews were mostly ignored.

But something remarkable happened over the show’s five seasons. Although ratings were never good, critics’ praise got louder and the burgeoning DVD market made The Wire a trailblazer of the binge-watching era. Abrams’ insightful book chronicles the entire journey from little drama that could to cultural behemoth.

Abrams interviews practically everyone in the cast and crew who’s still alive – including future superstars Idris Elba and Michael B. Jordan, as well as acclaimed novelists Richard Price and George Pelecanos. As a result, he collects some well-known stories all in one place, along with surprisingly candid thoughts (especially from actors Andre Royo, who played lovable, heartbreaking addict Bubbles, and Dominic West, who played hotheaded detective Jimmy McNulty.

The show was canceled every year, perpetually revived thanks to Simon’s stubbornness and critical raves. Many actors didn’t understand the creator’s big picture mentality at the time, failing to see that he was treating the show as a novel instead of a cop drama, telling the story of a dying city one perspective at a time.

Although people didn’t know it then, the struggling show would become a pioneer of the “prestige TV” era and continues to be taught in universities all over the country. Of course, it’s also one of the funniest, saddest, rage-inducing programs in history, all thanks to the power of the writing and acting.

If you haven’t seen The Wire, do yourself a favor and check it out on DVD, HBO Go or other streaming services. I promise once you get through a few episodes and understand the story’s methodical pacing, you’ll be hooked. Then, once you’re finished with the five brief seasons, buy Abrams’ book. You’ll learn about the miraculous way the show came together when the laws of television said it had no business existing past 13 episodes, let alone continuing to impact viewers a decade after it went off the air.

Grade: B+