MGM+ aired The Westies on Sunday. It is an eight-part gangster show set in the 1980s Hell's Kitchen. J.K. Simmons and Titus Welliver play the two gang bosses. Watchers say the Irish mob tale feels fresh . It mixes fights and dark comedy. Critics call the script okay but not new . People keep arguing about the show's quiet brutality . Some like the twist on crime sagas . Others say it belongs with past crime dramas. The series still sparks talks among fans post premiere .