Longtime fans of the contemporary fiction bestselling novel by Elin Hilderbrand, The Five-Star Weekend, can now flip the pages to streaming episodes as Peacock brings the women’s fiction to Tv. Sharing the same name as the book, the series follows renowned food influencer Hollis Shaw (Jennifer Garner), the creative cook behind Hungry with Hollis. What began as a stay-at-home mother’s passion for cooking for her family blossomed into a wildly successful culinary brand. However, after the sudden and tragic loss of her husband, Hollis finds herself navigating unimaginable grief, leaving both her personal life and carefully curated culinary world in disarray.
Hoping to rediscover herself after her loss, Hollis’ manager encourages her to host a “Five-Star Weekend”—a gathering of women who represent different phases of her life. She invites a group of friends to her summer home in Nantucket, the ‘white person clam island,’ hoping that reconnecting with her past will help her find a way forward. Hollis isn’t looking for a pity party, she yearns for a slumber party, a chance to reconnect with the people who shaped her life, and remember who she was before grief consumed her.
The itinerary resembles the ultimate girls’ getaway: cocktails and games on Friday night, yoga and shopping on Saturday morning, an afternoon at the spa, and a farewell brunch before everyone returns home. On the surface, it promises luxury, laughter, and relaxation. Beneath it, however, lies a woman desperately searching for herself after unimaginable grief; “A weekend of five of us, five-star treatment, and I’ll feel like myself again… whoever that is,” Hollis says. Hollis’ grief has become so overwhelming that even the thing she once loved most has lost its meaning. As she poignantly admits, “Food no longer tastes good to me because it reminds me that I am alive and he is dead.” It’s a heartbreaking realization that reframes cooking, friendship, and community not as distractions from loss, but as the very things that might help her begin living again.
Dru-Ann (Regina Hall) is Hollis’ college friend and the life of the party, though beneath her confidence lies a woman who has spent years prioritizing her high-powered career over meaningful relationships. Brooke (D’Arcy Carden), a fellow stay-at-home mom whom Hollis met through their children’s space camp, quietly struggles with losing her identity while living in the shadow of her husband’s ambitions. Tatum (Chloë Sevigny), Hollis’ oldest friend, has been by her side since they were three years old. They’re “not quite sisters, but close enough,” sharing a lifelong bond that’s as comforting as it is complicated. Rounding out the group is Gigi (Gemma Chan), an online friend turned real-life companion whose place in the weekend is met with skepticism, as the others question whether she’s genuinely invested in Hollis or simply another admirer drawn to her internet fame. Together, the women embody the series’ central idea: every friendship serves a different purpose, and part of Hollis.
What begins as an extravagant girls’ getaway gradually transforms into an Instagram-era Golden Girls. Each guest is carrying her own emotional baggage, whether it’s career uncertainty, health struggles, fractured relationships, or unresolved grief. Along the way, the series layers in friendship rivalries, rekindled romances, unexpected revelations, and new beginnings, creating a heartfelt celebration of female friendship. The ensemble shares an easy chemistry, balancing emotional vulnerability with humor, as evidenced by Dru-Ann’s playful quip: “You’d kill on Raya. Just let me know if you need a referral.” (As a newbie currently on Raya, this joke strike a cord). Paired with its sun-soaked coastal setting and breezy soundtrack, the series captures the warmth of a summer escape while never losing sight of its emotional core.
The series also explores the tension between Hollis’ curated online persona and the reality of her personal life. As her daughter bluntly points out, “You care more about your followers than anything real,” accusing Hollis of collecting women who admire her rather than cultivating genuine friendships. The show leaves audiences questioning whether a life built around influence and validation can truly withstand personal tragedy.
Where The Five-Star Weekend begins to get lost in the tomato sauce, is in its storytelling. Many of the emotional twists and character revelations are easy to anticipate, even for viewers unfamiliar with Hilderbrand’s novel. The series sometimes feels like a collection of parallel storylines that happen to occupy the same house, rather than weaving the women’s stories into a unified narrative.
While The Five-Star Weekend succeeds as a comforting portrait of friendship, it occasionally mistakes convenience for catharsis, with several emotional resolutions arriving a little too neatly. Even so, this by-the-numbers melodrama is elevated by its fully realized characters, heartfelt exploration of female friendship, and a cast of fantastic performances that make the journey consistently engaging. The result is a warm, entertaining watch that reminds us healing is rarely a solo endeavor, even for a woman like Hollis.
All eight episodes are available to stream on Peacock
CHRISKRATING★★★
