MGM+ is the newest streaming platform trying to carve out a niche in the television landscape of the 2020s. Its latest offering, the crime drama 'The Westies', was created by modern genre master Chris Brancato and Michael Panes, who previously collaborated on Godfather of Harlem. Starring Oscar winner J.K. Simmons and Bosch's Titus Welliver, the series is set in Hell's Kitchen during the 1980s and centers on the complex relationship between the Irish gang known as the Westies and the Italian mafia.

While 'The Westies' may appear to be a successor to Boardwalk Empire at first glance, it doesn't take enough risks to reach the heights of Terence Winter's Emmy-winning success. The series presents a solid eight-episode story, supported by strong performances, reasonable production quality, and an impressive soundtrack. However, one can't help but wonder what could have been with more ambition and depth.

The show focuses on the Westies gang, led by Eamon Sweeney (Simmons). Sweeney is negotiating to secure a significant stake in the high-profile Javits Center construction. One of his most loyal men, Jimmy Rourke (Tom Brittney), is navigating a troubled friendship with war veteran Mickey Flanagan (Stanley Morgan), who has just returned from Vietnam and been released from a mental hospital. The Westies have a particularly tense relationship with mafia boss John Gotti (Hamish Allan-Headley), and the hostility between the gangs escalates day by day.

Glenn Keenan (Welliver), one of Sweeney's police informants, experiences great anxiety when his estranged son begins to connect with the Westies. As the story unfolds, Keenan forms a complicated partnership with Detective Birdie Polk (Jessica Frances Dukes), who is determined to take down Sweeney. Meanwhile, Jimmy's girlfriend Bridget (Sarah Bolger) encounters a mysterious man from her past, Brendan Cahill (Allen Leech), forcing her to return to the Irish struggle for independence.

'The Westies' presents a narrative where characters exist to support the story. The actors here embody archetypes rather than fully fleshed-out characters: the ruthless crime boss, the moral criminal, the immoral revolutionary... In short, it stands out as a story-driven series.