Original Coverage & Source Attribution: www.cbr.com
Titus Welliver earned a loyal fanbase thanks to his portrayal of Harry Bosch in Prime Video’s Bosch, a crime drama series and an adaptation of Michael Connelly’s books. Now, Welliver is back as a police officer, this time working for the NYPD in the 1980s in MGM+’s latest crime drama that’s rising on streaming.
Per FlixPatrol, The Westies is currently the No. 3 most-watched show on MGM+ worldwide. The series is trending in countries like Germany, Italy, Spain, and the United Kingdom, and it holds the No. 4 spot in the United States. The Westies is a period crime thriller and drama series set in the 1980s, following the real-life Westies criminal gang.
The Westies Sees Titus Welliver Back as a Police Officer After Bosch
Titus Welliver played LAPD detective Harry Bosch in seven seasons of Prime Video’s Bosch, returning as a private investigator for three seasons of the sequel series, Bosch: Legacy. Welliver also reprised his role as Harry Bosch in Prime Video’s spin-off, also based on Michael Connelly’s book series, Ballard. Now, he’s starring in The Westies as an NYPD police officer.
The Westies follows the titular criminal gang, a real-life New York City-based Irish-American organized crime gang. The Westies were known for working with the Italian-American Mafia and were responsible for multiple crimes, including racketeering, drug trafficking, and contract killing. Their main territory was Hell’s Kitchen in Manhattan, where most of the MGM+ series is set.
The Westies stars J. K. Simmons as Eamon Sweeney, a criminal and leader of the Westies gang. His character is inspired by Mickey Spillane, an Irish-American mobster, often referred to as the “Gentleman Gangster.” Titus Welliver plays Glenn Keenan, an NYPD officer and Vietnam veteran, who shares a personal history and connection to the Westies gang.
Alongside Simmons and Welliver, The Westies also stars Tom Brittney as James “Jimmy” Roarke, Jessica Frances Dukes as Birdie Polk, Stanley Morgan as Mickey Flanagan, Sarah Bolger as Bridget Walsh, Hamish Allan-Headly as John Gotti, a real-life mobster and boss of the Gambino crime family, and more. Like other gangster shows such as Boardwalk Empire, The Westies depicts real-life gangsters and events.
The Westies Received Positive Reviews from Critics
Brooke Palmer/MGM+
The MGM series premiered on July 12, 2026, with an 8-episode season that ended on August 23, 2026. And so far, The Westies has received positive reviews from critics. On Rotten Tomatoes, The Westies holds a 74% Tomatometer score based on critics’ reviews, and a similar 76% Popcornmeter score based on audience reviews. On IMDb, The Westies has a 7.2 rating.
Richard Roeper at RogerEbert.com gave The Westies Season 1 a three out of four, saying, “This plays like a well-crafted, B-movie version of Scorsese—elevated by electric performances from a stellar cast led by J.K. Simmons and Titus Welliver.” Meanwhile, Keith Phipps from TV Guide said the series is “fast-paced, cleverly plotted, well played, and never less than compelling.”
The Westies might not be the perfect Bosch replacement, but it’s a must-watch crime thriller for fans of Titus Welliver. The MGM+ series hasn’t been renewed for Season 2 yet, but with positive reviews and success on streaming, many are hopeful that the crime thriller will return for another season. For now, fans can watch The Westies Season 1 on MGM+.
- Release Date
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July 12, 2026
- Network
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MGM+
- Showrunner
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Chris Brancato
- Directors
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Alan Taylor
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J.K. Simmons
Eamon Sweeney
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Titus Welliver
Glenn Keenan
