MGM+ is the latest streamer trying to carve out a space for itself in the hyper-competitive world of 2020s television. Its newest offering is the crime drama The Westies, co-created by modern master of the genre Chris Brancato — the man behind hits like Narcos —and Michael Panes, who worked alongside Brancato on Godfather of Harlem. Led by Oscar winner J.K. Simmons and Bosch himself, Titus Welliver, and set in Hell’s Kitchen in the 1980s, the show delivers a classic tale of crime, deceit, and violence centered on the Westies, a criminal gang made up of Irishmen, and their contentious relationship with the Italian mafia.
The Westies might outwardly seem like the heir apparent to Boardwalk Empire, but it plays it too safe to reach the heights of Terence Winter‘s Emmy-winning triumph. It’s not a bad show by any means — in fact, it’s a solid eight-episode saga with strong performances, decent production value, and a killer soundtrack. Yet, one can’t help but ponder what the show could’ve been if it had a bit more ambition and a tad more meat on its bones.
What Is ‘The Westies’ About?
Set in 1980s Hell’s Kitchen, The Westies focuses on the titular gang, led by Eamon Sweeney (Simmons), a businessman who negotiates a sizable stake in the construction of the high-profile Javits Center. One of his most loyal men is Jimmy Rourke (Tom Brittney), whose troubled friend, war veteran Mickey Flanagan (Stanley Morgan), has recently been released from a mental institution following a tour in Vietnam. The Westies have a combative relationship with the Italians, particularly mob boss John Gotti (Hamish Allan-Headley), and the gangs’ animosity towards each other seemingly increases by the day.
One of Sweeney’s police informants is Glenn Keenan (Welliver), whose estranged son is becoming involved with the Westies, much to his chagrin. Over the course of the plot, Keenan also enters into a complicated partnership with Birdie Polk (Jessica Frances Dukes), a detective looking to bring down Sweeney. Meanwhile, Jimmy’s girlfriend, Bridget (Sarah Bolger), finds herself dragged back into the cause of Irish independence after a mysterious man from her past, Brendan Cahill (Allen Leech), reenters her life.
‘The Westies’ Features an All-Too-Familiar Story
The Westies is a story-driven show to a T — which is to say, the characters exist to serve the narrative. The actors here are not playing characters but rather archetypes: the ruthless crime boss, the moral criminal, the amoral revolutionary… you get the gist. There’s nothing inherently wrong with a story-driven approach — some of television’s all-time greats can be classified as story-driven — but The Westies takes that approach a bit too literally. The key players receive little to no development, simply going from Point A to Point B because the story demands it. As for the narrative, it’s fine, but nothing you haven’t seen before: lies, betrayals, ruthless killings, cocaine, whiskey, and some muscular fight scenes.
Luckily, the cast of The Westies is engaging enough to make up for their characters’ lack of progression. Brittney is a personable lead, playing Jimmy as someone who might not have a heart of gold, but at least has a moral compass. Similarly, Stanley’s work as the loose cannon Mickey is good, mainly because he’s never actually unlikable despite the fact that he’s a hothead. As for Simmons, he’s playing a role he could do in his sleep, but it is fun to see him and Allan-Headley trying to outsmirk each other. If anyone has it toughest, it’s Bolger, and Bridget’s revolutionary plot seems out of place in a narrative about ruthless criminals.
Welliver, best known for playing the titular protagonist of Bosch, is given far more to work with than anyone else, as Glenn deals with a troubled son, an inferiority complex, and a shifting sense of loyalty, finding himself between the police and the Westies. Welliver does a fine job in the role, embodying Glenn’s stiffness and indifference and slowly dropping both with each new episode. His personal storyline converges nicely with the Westies’ overarching narrative, and it’s hard not to wish that Simmons, Brittney, and Bolger received the same treatment.
‘The Westies’ Does a Decent Job Bringing ’80s New York to Life
Visually, The Westies is not particularly strong, with the same subdued, grayish look that so many streaming shows today bear, and very few instances of anything close to memorable or inspired. Behind the camera, the series’ directors adopt a more straightforward approach; there’s little panache but tons of dynamism, particularly in Episode 3, where director Chris Grismer brings real flair to one of the show’s most elaborate hours. The editing is rather good, most notably in the fight scenes. The stunts aren’t fast-paced and hectic like so many of today’s best action movies; rather, they’re precise, rough, almost messy, immersing the viewer in the Westies’ style of reactive street fighting.
The production design is decent, but the wigs are truly awful, and the costumes and overall staging occasionally make it hard to determine whether The Westies is set in the early ’80s or the early ’90s, with some late ’70s thrown in for good measure. The sets are few but lived-in: an Irish pub, a small office, a rundown apartment, a lavish mansion. They’re used several times — the show has a rather limited approach to Hell’s Kitchen — but, in all fairness, it really doesn’t need more to tell its story.
Overall, The Westies isn’t reinventing the formula, it’s not particularly ambitious, and it’s not concerned with offering more than what’s on the screen. If you like your crime stories with a bit more bite, this one will probably leave you unsatisfied. However, if you’re a fan of tough men doing bad things and traditional tales of underworld crime, then you’ll likely have a good time. Moreover, there are already plans for Season 2, so perhaps The Westies only has room to grow with its potential return, finding more confidence and a better grasp of its identity.
The Westies premieres July 12 on MGM+.
