Plot: Set in the early 1980s when the construction of the Jacob Javits Convention Center on the Westies’ home turf in Hell’s Kitchen promises a financial windfall. Despite being outnumbered fifty-to-one by the Five Families of the Italian Mafia, the Westies’ legendary brutality and cunning have given them the leverage necessary to share the spoils through a fragile détente. But internal conflict between the brash younger generation and the old-school leadership threatens to set a match to this powder keg, which will sweep the Westies into the FBI’s ever-deepening investigation into the Italian mafia.
Review: Crime in New York City is not exactly the most unique topic for a dramatic television series. When done right, a good crime drama can be an exciting formula for destination viewing, especially when it has a twist up its sleeve. Recent years have seen superhero shows like Daredevil: Born Again and historical dramas like Godfather of Harlem, showcasing the scope of the City that Never Sleeps in all its violent glory. With the recent announcement that Godfather of Harlem would be wrapping its run on MGM+, the streaming platform already has a very different show set to take its place. The Westies is another period-set epic about warring gangs vying for power, this time set around the construction of the Javits Center, a major source of revenue to this day. Led by J.K. Simmons and newcomer Tom Brittney, The Westies is a well-crafted series that delves into the title gang’s burgeoning hold on power despite going up against the Italian Mafia, the FBI, and the Irish Republican Army.
Set around the early 80s construction of the Jacob Javits Convention Center in Hell’s Kitchen, The Westies opens with a violent act that illustrates the rift between the real Irish gang run by Eamon Sweeney (J.K. Simmons) and the more powerful Mafia, represented by John Gotti (Daredevil: Born Again‘s Hamish Allan-Headly). Immediately, the series establishes a generational rift between the old-school Sweeney and the younger, ambitious Jimmy Roarke (Tom Brittney). At times, the series echoes the father-son dynamic between Leonardo DiCaprio and Jack Nicholson in The Departed as well as the relationship between DiCaprio and Daniel Day-Lewis in Gangs of New York. The influence of Martin Scorsese is evident throughout The Westies, as it strives to replicate the grungy, seedy feel of late disco-era NYC. The Irish influence is in abundance as Jimmy’s girlfriend, Bridget Walsh (Sarah Bolger), has strong ties to the IRA and The Troubles, a subplot that recurs throughout this first season of The Westies.
J.K. Simmons is one of the best actors working today, with a long history of stellar turns in everything from voice-over work to his roles on HBO’s Oz and NBC’s Law & Order. Simmons, now in his early seventies, still has the charisma and presence he had decades ago, but brings a quiet, stoic intensity to Eamon Sweeney, inspired by the era’s actual Westies leaders. Looking at the true tales behind what happened during the period this series is set gives you a good idea of what you have in store through this eight-episode first season, with many elements highly fictionalized. The warring factions are expanded to include dirty cop Glenn Keenan (Titus Welliver), who has ties to Sweeney and the Westies gang, as well as Birdie Polk (Jessica Frances Dukes), the FBI agent in charge of taking down both Sweeney’s gang and Gotti’s Italian mobsters. The series also explores the friends and connections to The Westies, including the mentally unstable Mickey Flanagan (Stanley Morgan), Sweeney’s right-hand Eddie Breen (Vincent Walsh), and Irish renegade Brendan Cahill (Allen Leech).
With recent rumors that Tom Brittney was in the running for the role of the new Batman, The Westies serves as an audition reel to gauge whether the public would accept the actor as the new Dark Knight. Brittney was also a finalist for the role of Superman but lost out to David Corenswet. With long hair and a solid New York accent, Brittney carries himself well as Jimmy Roarke straddles the tempestuous gangland divide. This first season does a good job of showcasing the different factions at play and how the construction of the Javits Center serves as a goldmine for those who can get in the good graces of the powers that be. The series also benefits from having a balanced cast of familiar faces, including The West Wing’s Richard Schiff, while giving the younger cast space to shine. A quick look at the history of what happened between the gangs, as the Javits Center eventually opened to the public five years after this series takes place, gives you an idea of the roadmap for where this series could go.
Showrunners Chris Brancato and Michael Panes have extensive experience with organized crime shows. Brancato served as showrunner on Law & Order: Criminal Intent before co-creating Narcos, Godfather of Harlem, and Hotel Cocaine. While Godfather of Harlem has built a decent following, it pales in comparison to the success of Narcos and Narcos: Mexico on Netflix. The Westies have the potential to tap into a wider audience thanks to the Goodfellas vibes the series exudes. The Irish-versus-Italian angle has been done numerous times to critical acclaim, and The Westies hopes to mine the same territory. This series is awash in cliches and tropes from so many gang shows and films that you may initially roll your eyes, but The Westies works well thanks to direction from The Sopranos and Game of Thrones helmer Alan Taylor, as well as Adrian Kane and others. The soundtrack of classic songs from the 1970s and 80s adds to the intensity, as does the no-holds-barred violence and sex, which make The Westies feel like it earns its comparisons to crime classics.
There is always something fun about shows like The Westies, especially when they can draw you into the underworld of gangs and syndicates early on. The charismatic presence of J.K. Simmons and Tom Brittney makes it easy to lean into the 1980s New York era and believe we can root for these obvious bad guys as they duke it out for control of their slice of the Big Apple. The Westies benefits from audience familiarity with dozens of gang and mafia shows and movies that came before it, and manages to make this eight-episode first season a lot of violent fun to watch. I hope audiences connect with The Westies as the series ends on a note that promises an even better second season. Come for J.K. Simmons and stay for the solid ensemble cast.The Westies is a worthwhile new crime show if you like your gang stories with a heavy dose of early-80s flair.
The Westies premieres on July 12th on MGM+.