MGM+ launched The Westies on Sunday. It is an eight-part gangster show set in 1980s Hell's Kitchen. J.K. Simmons and Titus Welliver play the top gang bosses. Watchers say the Irish gang tale feels fresh . It mixes fights and dark laughs . Critics call the script competent yet unoriginal. People keep debating the show's calm violence . Some like the twist on gang stories. Others say it fits well blends classic crime shows . The series still keeps conversations among fans after launch .