This article contains spoilers for MGM+‘s The Westies Episode 3
The first two episodes of The Westies quickly established the animosity between the Irish and Italian mobs. An uneasy truce was struck to allow both sides to make money, contingent on leaders keeping their crews in line.
In Episode 3, “The Starship,” the repercussions of failing to look at the big picture fall on a few men who must keep it all together, while internal and external pressures continue to mount. Suffice to say, it’s a pretty stressful time in Hell’s Kitchen.
Jimmy Takes a Risk to Save Mickey in The Westies Episode 3
After Mickey (Stanley Morgan) is captured by the Italians on a tip that he might have information about what happened to John Gotti’s (Hamish Allan-Headley) lieutenant, his lack of cooperation leads to endless rounds of torture. While Eamon (J.K. Simmons) thinks he’ll eventually talk, Jimmy (Tom Brittney) convinces Eamon that he would never rat them out.
He suggests meeting with his counterpart on the Italian side to let him know that Mickey knows nothing and that this is bad for business. Jimmy has quickly established himself as a smart, useful man to have around. However, he is also naive, which is part of his charm.
Beyond loyalty, both sides share another thing in common: an understanding of the value of favors. Within each camp, favors are a way to advance and gather information, but trading favors between opposing sides is something else entirely. This is where Eamon finds himself during a face-to-face meeting with the Gambino crime family boss, Paul Castellano (Ron Lea).
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To secure Mickey’s release and keep him alive, Castellano asks Eamon to take out some Colombian drug traffickers. Some members of the Gambino family have ignored the rule to stay out of the drug trade and are now moonlighting for easy money.
The drug lab is located in the basement of the club Starship. Jimmy and his crew infiltrate the club to see what they are up against. After getting downstairs, seeing the operation, and eventually being escorted out, Jimmy realizes he’s going to need some help.
Enter Bridget (Sarah Bolger), who offers up weapons, namely a rocket launcher she was holding as a favor to Brendan Cahill (Allen Leech). They promptly use them at the Starship, effectively shutting down the operation to send a message and stealing some cocaine as well.
This favor doesn’t come without a price. Cahill comes calling soon after, saying his timetable has moved up and that he’ll need those weapons now. Nothing is ever easy in the criminal life.
J.K. Simmons and Titus Welliver’s Characters Walk Their Own Dangerous Tightropes
Beyond that, there are a couple of standout scenes between J.K. Simmons and Titus Welliver, who plays the corrupt cop Glenn Keenan. They have a history and have known each other for a long time. While they live in two different worlds, they share one thing in common: they both walk a tightrope in their respective lives.
Keenan is on Eamon’s payroll and now has the FBI watching him, expecting reports. Meanwhile, Eamon must play nice with the Italians while keeping his own guys in line, whatever the cost. The dialogue between the two is both easygoing and tense, making for some great moments.
There are some events in “The Starship” that will definitely have an impact going forward. Keenan finds out who killed the cop during the trip to Boston to frame the Gambino underboss. When he tells Eamon, Eamon makes a deal. He is to stay away from his son, and he’ll take care of Pat Murphy (Jeremy Walmsley), which he does.
On the other side, Castellano meets with Gotti, warning him to stay away from the drug trade, as he has no interest in it. Gotti is unimpressed but grudgingly agrees. However, you can see he wants more than he’s being allowed to do, which will surely lead to a power struggle down the road.
While The Westies Episode 3 moved the plot along and maintained a consistent pace, it seemed somewhat repetitive of the first two episodes. To sustain viewer interest, some characters need to show more development, and there should be more surprising twists. Mafia stories of the decade are not new territory in film and TV. The writing and character arcs need to elevate it in a way that makes it distinctive.
The Westies Episode 3 is now streaming on MGM+. New episodes premiere every Sunday through August 23.
