The Five-Star Weekend, which you can watch with a Peacock subscription, continues the streamer's tradition of having a fascinating collection of miniseries and original programming. It follows Hollis (Jennifer Garner) as she invites four of her closest friends away for a weekend to escape her grief. The series has plenty of heartfelt moments and twists.
The book-to-screen adaptation is enjoyable but not one of Peacock’s best TV shows. However, some of its strongest elements are its exploration of womanhood, grief, friendship, and the boundaries and restrictions people set for themselves.
The Five-Star Weekend is a lot more wholesome than many of the best female rage movies, but it still feels like one.
Warning: The Five-Star Weekend spoilers are ahead. Proceed with caution.
Most Of The Characters Are Oppressed In Some Way By A System Or Traditions
Each of the main characters is dealing with a crisis. Hollis is managing her grief, while Brooke (D'Arcy Carden) is dealing with her husband’s scandal and discovering a new part of herself. Tatum (Chloë Sevigny) has a major health scare, Gigi (Gemma Chan) has a huge secret, and Dru-Anne (Regina Hall) has a major PR problem. They’re all trying to handle their issues in their own ways.
However, it’s not leading to the healthiest coping mechanisms. For example, Gigi is lying to everyone and setting herself up for heartbreak. Despite their destructive choices, a lot of their issues are tied to the men they associate with or to societal standards.
Brooke’s husband is especially oppressing her. Her rage and transformation come when she’s finally with a supportive group of women. Gigi and Hollis are both in love with a dead man who, in a way, betrayed them both. The gift he gives them is each other. However, the tragedy of it all is that he also tears them apart.
Most female rage movies involve some sort of crusade or act of revenge against those who harm. It could also involve just unhinged behavior to fit into societal norms. The Five-Star Weekend is about women breaking free of chains. Chains of past relationships, societal norms, and the boxes they and others put them in. Female rage can come in how characters change their lives after experiencing heartbreaking losses: personal, career-wise, or image-wise. It’s about women taking back their power.
All the women in The Five-Star Weekend fall into that category.
The Female Friendship Is What Empowers Them But Is Imperfect
Great movies about female friendships show unbreakable bonds. The Five-Star Weekend shows the opposite. All of these bonds are not as strong as they were. They are shaky, but they’re ultimately what gives these women the power to change.
The latter half of the series really conveys how transformative this weekend is for these women and their friendship. Hollis and Tatum even renew their friendship spark. I am not sure if this Peacock series does justice to the book, but I hope it got the bonds right. In many female rage movies, something happens (a tragedy) to force the protagonist on their journey. In The Five-Star Weekend, a tragedy happens, but the women encourage each other on their journey.
The Five-Star Weekend Isn't A Show About Revenge, But Healing, And That Can Be A Greater Revenge
The Five-Star Weekend is about healing. These characters aren’t trying to make anyone pay for hurting them but are finding a way to live again, despite pain and barriers. Many female rage movies are all about revenge as a way of healing. This TV show proves that no longer being held down by hurt can be revenge.
