The Westies, a new MGM+ drama series, plunges viewers into the violent world of an Irish-American gang operating in 1980s New York, striking a deal with the Gambino crime family. The show, created by Chris Brancato (Narcos, Godfather of Harlem) and Michael Panes, aims to capitalize on the enduring popularity of real-life gangster stories, following in the footsteps of Peaky Blinders and A Thousand Blows.
Plot and Characters
JK Simmons stars as Eamon Sweeney, the Westies leader who operates from a portable cabin on a Hell's Kitchen construction site. Sweeney has brokered a deal allowing his Irish crew a share of a million-dollar construction project, but must keep the Gambinos satisfied. The young Irish footsoldiers are violent and impulsive, while the Italians are equally volatile, leading to inevitable bloody chaos.
Two potential new leaders emerge: John Gotti (Hamish Allan-Headley), who sees no reason to accommodate the Irish, and Jimmy Roarke (Tom Brittney), Sweeney's brightest lieutenant. Roarke is loyal to his friend Mickey Flanagan (Stanley Morgan), a Vietnam vet undergoing electroconvulsive therapy. Meanwhile, NYPD officer Glenn Keenan (Titus Welliver) struggles with gambling and drinking, while Jimmy's girlfriend Bridget Walsh (Sarah Bolger) balances Westies business with her fight for Irish liberation.
Themes and Performances
The series explores father-son dynamics, particularly through Keenan's attempts to keep his son Danny (Aidan Wojtak-Hissong) away from the Westies. Sweeney's lack of children may be his downfall, as he seeks a surrogate son in Jimmy. The show excels in its guilty pleasures: violent punch-ups played for laughs, a corpse dismemberment scene, and a caper involving a severed hand. A surveillance mission at a Colombian cocaine-dealing nightclub ends with over-the-top violence.
However, the more serious moments fall flat. Simmons fails to imbue Sweeney with the necessary fearsomeness, while Allan-Headley's Gotti feels unoriginal. Welliver's Keenan is too pathetic to engage with, and many supporting characters are stereotypes. Only Brittney and Bolger bring energy and conviction to their roles, with Brittney's Roarke blending idealism and smarts, and Bolger's Walsh balancing steeliness and nervousness.
Conclusion
Despite strong performances from Brittney and Bolger, The Westies remains merely competent rather than exceptional. It offers familiar mob drama pleasures but struggles to distinguish itself in a crowded genre. The series is now streaming on MGM+.
