A woman gathers a group of friends from different periods of her life for a weekend getaway in Peacock's new dramedy series The Five-Star Weekend.
Based on one of author Elin Hilderbrand's bestselling novels, this adaptation fittingly feels like the streaming equivalent of a breezy beach read -- easy to consume, emotionally engaging and effortlessly bingeable.
The Five-Star Weekend centres on Hollis Shaw (Jennifer Garner), a celebrated cook and bestselling author known for her delicious recipes, impeccable taste and warm personality. But after suffering a devastating personal loss, Hollis finds herself unable to move forward.
As grief begins to expose the cracks beneath her seemingly perfect life -- from her complicated relationship with her daughter to her growing need for validation from her fans -- she comes up with an unusual idea to help herself heal.
She invites four friends from different stages of her life, her childhood, her 20s, her 30s, and one surprise "fifth star", to spend a weekend together at her luxurious Nantucket home.
Set against a picturesque coastal backdrop, the reunion forces each woman to confront long-buried secrets, shifting boundaries and unresolved emotional baggage.
For all intents and purposes, The Five-Star Weekend is a simple show. There is no murder mystery, no genre-bending premise and no elaborate puzzle waiting to be solved. But that's not necessarily a bad thing.
In fact, it's one of the series' biggest strengths. It knows exactly what it wants to be and embraces that simplicity with confidence. It's honestly refreshing to watch a show that feels grounded and authentic instead of constantly chasing shocking plot twists just to stay relevant.
Of course, there are moments of soapy, melodrama and plenty of juicy gossip that inevitably gets spilled over the course of the weekend. But even at its most dramatic, everything feels emotionally believable.
Don't get me wrong, though, this series is neither beige nor bland. Beneath its glossy exterior, The Five-Star Weekend tackles surprisingly heavy subject matter, exploring grief, identity, mental health, illness and the emotional scars people carry long after life moves on.
Each of the women is given her own emotional burden to navigate.
Tatum (Chloë Sevigny) is dealing with a frightening health diagnosis. Dru (Regina Hall) struggles with cancel culture and mental health. Hollis wrestles with the loss of her husband while trying to reconnect with her estranged daughter.
Brooke (D'Arcy Carden) finds herself questioning the identity she's built around being a devoted wife and mother. And Gigi (Gemma Chan)?
Well, I'll let you discover for yourself what unexpected chaos she brings to the group.
In many ways, The Five-Star Weekend reminded me a lot of Netflix's 2025 series The Four Seasons. Both are ensemble-driven dramas that thrive on character dynamics rather than high-concept storytelling, although The Five-Star Weekend leans into slightly edgier emotional territory.
What truly makes this series appointment viewing, however, is the incredible cast assembled by the show's creators.
Jennifer Garner, Chloë Sevigny, D'Arcy Carden, Regina Hall, Gemma Chan and Timothy Olyphant make for an astonishing ensemble. It's honestly remarkable how much talent is packed into one show, and every performer brings depth and nuance that elevate the material beyond what could have easily become another glossy streaming soap.
I've always liked Jennifer Garner, although I do think she's appeared in a number of underwhelming projects in recent years. This feels like a genuine return to form.
Granted, Garner can play kind-hearted, earnest characters in her sleep, but this role reminds us why she's remained such a compelling screen presence for decades. She brings warmth, vulnerability and quiet resilience to Hollis, making her grief feel deeply authentic.
The women surrounding her, however, are really the heart and soul of the series. Sevigny continues to prove why she's one of the most consistently reliable actresses working today, bringing an understated emotional honesty to Tatum that makes her instantly relatable. Hall is equally excellent, although I do think Dru's storyline ends up being the least developed of the five women.
Gemma Chan delivers perhaps the show's most heartbreaking performance. Known for her elegant screen presence and almost ethereal beauty, Chan reveals an emotional vulnerability here that feels refreshingly raw. Gigi initially arrives as a disruptive force within the group, but as the layers begin to peel away, Chan gradually reveals the loneliness and heartbreak hidden beneath the surface.
Still, the biggest standout for me is D'Arcy Carden. Brooke is arguably the most fully realised character across these eight episodes, and Carden handles every stage of her emotional journey beautifully.
Brooke struggles to balance motherhood, marriage and her own sense of identity, slowly realising that she's spent so much of her life taking care of everyone else that she's forgotten who she really is. It's a wonderfully layered performance that gives the series much of its emotional weight.
That said, the show isn't without its shortcomings. The Five-Star Weekend contains a handful of undercooked storylines, particularly those involving Hollis's daughter Caroline and her romantic subplot.
Harlow Jane, who plays Caroline, gives a solid performance, but the character feels oddly tacked on, almost as though her storyline was added late in the writing process without being fully developed.
I was also left somewhat frustrated by the ending. More specifically, I didn't like how the series handled Gigi. She begins as one of the most fascinating and influential figures within the group's dynamic, yet by the finale she's largely reduced to a convenient antagonist.
Instead of giving her the emotional resolution -- or even the redemption arc -- that the character seemed to be building towards, the series simply pushes her aside. It felt like a disappointing conclusion for one of its most complex characters.
On top of that, I had assumed this would be a self-contained miniseries, given that Hilderbrand's novel doesn't have a sequel. Instead, several storylines are left hanging by the finale, suggesting the creators are hoping for another season.
That's perfectly fine if a renewal happens, but if it doesn't, the ending ultimately lacks the satisfying sense of closure that this story deserves.
Even so, those issues aren't enough to overshadow everything the series gets right. If you're looking for something to binge this weekend that doesn't rely on flashy gimmicks or endless plot twists, The Five-Star Weekend offers an engaging alternative.
- The Five-Star Weekend
- Starring Jennifer Garner, Gemma Chan, D'Arcy Carden, Regina Hall, Chloë Sevigny
- Created by Bekah Brunstetter
- Now streaming on HBO Max
