The Westies returns Sunday, August 2, with its fifth episode, “A Right Rose Tree.” It premieres at 9 p.m. ET on MGM+ and begins the second half of the eight-episode season.
Four episodes have given the series a clear dramatic center: the long, complicated relationship between Jimmy Roarke and Eamon Sweeney. Jimmy still loves the man who raised him, although he has finally started seeing how Sweeney keeps his authority.
“Favours and Funerals” ended with that relationship intact in action and badly damaged in private. Episode 5 sends Jimmy deeper into the cocaine business while Sweeney attempts to keep control from a safer distance.
Everything below contains spoilers for the first four episodes of The Westies. The release information above remains spoiler-free.
The Westies episode 5 preview
“Favours and Funerals” ended with Jimmy learning that Sweeney secretly sold the cocaine stolen from the Starship. Sweeney had forbidden Jimmy from selling it, then kept control of the money and donated $100,000 publicly. Gotti responded by sending gunmen to Sweeney’s Hibernian Society dinner. Jimmy still saved Sweeney’s life, killing both shooters before joining him for a quiet drink.
Episode 5 allows Jimmy to enter the cocaine business if he finds his own supply. The arrangement keeps Sweeney removed from the transactions while Jimmy absorbs the danger. Gotti already believes the Westies destroyed his Starship operation and stole his product. Jimmy’s new business places him directly inside Gotti’s territory. Tom Brittney and J.K. Simmons should make the personal conflict as compelling as the criminal one.
Glenn Keenan enters the episode carrying another impossible assignment. He arranged Danny’s arrest by planting drugs on his son, hoping jail would separate him from the Westies. Birdie Polk will now pressure Keenan to wear a wire against Sweeney. Titus Welliver has played Keenan as a man exhausted by every compromise he makes. Recording his oldest friend could finally leave him without anybody left to protect.
Bridget has committed herself to Brendan Cahill’s assassination plot after learning Colonel Gerald Markham killed her parents. She will help the IRA cell secure new explosives while hiding the operation from Jimmy. The episode title comes from W.B. Yeats’ “The Rose Tree,” which imagines Irish freedom requiring Irish blood. That reference gives Bridget’s revenge a larger history of sacrifice, grief, and political violence.
Mickey may become especially important as Jimmy’s loyalty begins weakening. He has survived Gotti’s torture and already recognizes Sweeney’s willingness to sacrifice members of his own crew. Jimmy, Keenan, Bridget, and Sweeney are now keeping dangerous secrets from the people closest to them. “A Right Rose Tree” should begin forcing those secrets into the open.
The Westies episode 5 FAQ
When does The Westies Episode 5 come out?
Episode 3 premieres Sunday, August 2, at 9 p.m. ET on MGM+. The episode is titled “Favours and Funerals.”
How many episodes are in the first season of The Westies?
The Westies Season 1 contains eight episodes. New episodes will arrive each Sunday through the August 23 finale.
Where can I watch The Westies?
All episodes of The Westies are available on MGM+. The service is also available through supported Prime Video subscriptions.
