MGM+ launched The Westies on Sunday. It is an eight-episode 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 new . It blends fights and gallows humor . Critics call the script okay but not new . People keep arguing about the show's calm violence . Some like the spin on crime sagas . Others say it fits well blends old crime hits . The series still fuels chats among fans post premiere .