The Five-Star Weekend, based on Elin Hilderbrand’s best-selling novel, follows Hollis Shaw (Jennifer Garner, 13 Going on 30), a successful lifestyle influencer whose life drastically changed after the death of her husband. Looking for a new start, Hollis invites four of her friends from different stages of her life to spend a weekend together at her Nantucket home. What starts as a chance to reconnect quickly becomes an opportunity to reflect on the past, complicated friendships, and personal truths to come to the surface.
At first look, The Five-Star Weekend seems like the perfect drama series. The cast is full of familiar faces, the Nantucket setting is gorgeous, and the storyline promises an emotional character-driven drama. Unfortunately, while it was clear what the series was trying to do, it was hard to get invested.
Jennifer Garner gives a beautiful performance as Hollis, bringing warmth and vulnerability to a character who is navigating grief while trying to rediscover herself. The supporting cast, including Regina Hall (One Battle After Another), Gemma Chan (Eternals), Chloë Sevigny (Shattered Glass), and D’Arcy Carden (The Good Place), all have moments to shine, and the chemistry between the group is great. The performances were never the issue. The story just didn’t give them enough to work with.
The pacing makes the series difficult to connect with. The Five-Star Weekend spends a lot of time sitting with its characters and their emotions, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. However, there were several moments where conversations felt drawn out without adding much to the story. Rather than building momentum, the series felt like it wasn’t going anywhere, making it difficult to stay engaged episode to episode.
As the series goes on, it becomes clear that part of the disconnect had less to do with the quality of the show and more to do with who it’s meant for. The series focuses on navigating long-term friendships, marriage, motherhood, and finding yourself later in life. Those are all meaningful themes that will resonate with many viewers. For those who don’t connect with those experiences, however, the slower pacing may be harder to fully appreciate.
That doesn’t mean the series doesn’t have its strengths. The visuals are exactly what you’d want from a summer drama. The Nantucket scenery is beautiful, the production design creates a warm and inviting atmosphere, and every episode feels polished. It’s the kind of show that makes you want to book a beach vacation, even if the story itself didn’t completely pull you in.
The Five-Star Weekend takes a slower and more reflective approach that’s focused on its characters and the relationships between them. It isn’t the kind of series that leaves audiences counting down until the next episode. That doesn’t make it a bad show by any means-it just feels better suited for viewers who see themselves reflected in its characters and the stage of life they’re navigating. The Five-Star Weekend is a beautifully acted and visually appealing drama that’s easier to appreciate than fully connect with, but for the right audience, that may be exactly what makes it great.
