Peaky Blinders Meets Bosch In The Best New Gangster Show

The best new gangster show on TV feels like the perfect blend of Netflix’s Peaky Blinders and Prime Video’s Bosch, while also creating its own distinct identity. The crime genre is one of the most interesting because it can follow the perspective of the criminals or the people trying to take them down, and both are equally interesting.

Crime shows centered on antagonists offer a glimpse into the minds of complex individuals who are easily flattened down into “bad guys.” The TV show Peaky Blinders showed the nuance of the Shelby family. They might be doing the wrong thing, but there’s so much more to the story that wouldn’t get shown if the story took an outsider’s perspective.

On the other hand, crime shows focused on investigators provide the feeling that justice is possible. They’re also like a puzzle. The audience and investigators have to figure out who committed the crime and how to stop them. Bosch is the perfect example of all these things done right. Harry Bosch is a good person working as an investigator trying to do the right thing in a broken system.

MGM+’s new gangster show, The Westies, is a blend of both narrative perspectives. It feels like it took the DNA of Peaky Blinders and Bosch and spliced them together brilliantly. Excitingly, the cast of The Westies also includes the incredible Bosch actor Titus Welliver in a very different role, proving his dynamic acting abilities.

The Westies’ Dual Perspectives Make It A True Peaky Blinders Bosch Blend

MGM+’s The Westies takes a unique approach to storytelling, showing dual perspectives in two separate ways. The decision to approach the story from multiple angles not only makes the story more dynamic but also more similar to both Peaky Blinders and Bosch.

Firstly, the show contrasts the perspective of the older generation in leadership with the younger generation seeking power. This is most recognizable when it comes to Eamon Sweeney and Jimmy Roarke. There’s a serious power struggle between the two groups, similar to the push and pull between Tommy Shelby and his younger siblings in Peaky Blinders. Tommy and Eamon make decisions for the entire group, even if they end up harming the people in their group. Meanwhile, Jimmy pushes back against the leader in the same way John Shelby does.

“While conflicts exist outside the Irish mob itself, namely, what kind of business they do and who they do it with, internal conflicts and power struggles form as a new generation of eager twentysomethings, led by Jimmy Roarke, walk a fine line between duty and irreverence.” –ScreenRant‘s review of The Westies from critic Greg MacArthur

On top of that, The Westies shows the opposing perspectives of the mob and the law enforcement agents trying to take them down, giving the series a Bosch feeling. The large-scale conspiracy between The Westies and the Gambino family seems on par with some of the ones uncovered by Harry Bosch. Additionally, the show explores corruption in the policing system, a staple in Michael Connelly’s books and the onscreen adaptations.

Titus Welliver’s Character Isn’t The “Bosch” Of The Westies

While The Westies has some Bosch elements, Glenn Keenan has very little in common with Harry Bosch. In many ways, Glenn Keenan is the anti-Bosch. Both characters care about their children, they’re war veterans, and they are played by Titus Welliver. That’s where the similarities end. Bosch has a strong moral code, and he would detest Keenan for his corruption. Bosch is stoic, while Keenan is self-loathing and emotional. Bosch is easy to root for, even when he is acting as the antihero, while Keenan is pretty impossible to root for, even when he has semi-decent intentions.

The “Bosch” of The Westies is, instead, FBI Special Agent Birdie Polk. She has the same hardened exterior and ability to lead operations unflinchingly as Harry Bosch. They’re both incredibly intelligent, putting pieces of a puzzle together that others would miss, though not to an unrealistic Sherlock Holmes level. Just like Harry Bosch, Birdie Polk is dedicated to taking down the bad guy, even if it means pushing boundaries. The two cops recognize that the bureaucracy can actually hinder the pursuit of justice.

However, Special Agent Polk in no way feels like a ripoff of Titus Welliver’s previous role. She is a little more willing to go into the morally gray areas than Bosch. Plus, The Westies shows Polk generally working with her team, while Bosch tends to go rogue and investigate on his own. Ultimately, the two feel like kindred spirits but still distinct.