TV
Who Is Gigi on ‘The Five Star Weekend’?
Peacock’s newest series, The Five Star Weekend, has arrived to give you a dose of escapist television if you’re choosing to stay inside to beat the heat.
While most summer shows with a pristine beach setting revolve around a love triangle, this one puts friendship between mature women at the forefront instead.
But when has a girls’ weekend gone off without its fair share of drama? While all the women arrive in Nanatucket harboring and navigating their own secrets and crises, much of the tension is brought on by mysterious and undeniably chic Gigi.
The drama, based on beach-read queen Elin Hilderbrand’s best-selling 2023 novel of the same name, finds Jennifer Garner’s Hollis Shaw, a famous food blogger, in a state of grief after the unexpected death of her husband, Matthew (Josh Hamilton), mere days before Christmas.
Six months later, that same grief hits her hard during an appearance on Today (hey, Jenna Bush Hager!), where her manager suggests she round up four of her closest friends from different phases of her life for a weekend of fun to help her unwind, take her mind off everything and find herself again.
Initially not in favor of the idea, Hollis decides that maybe the best medicine is time with the people who know you best, extending an invite to her childhood “sister” Tatum, played by Chloë Sevigny, college bestie Dru Ann, played by Regina Hall, and D’Arcy Carden’s Brooke, a friend from the motherhood phase of her life.
The fourth VIP is Genna Chan’s Gigi Ling, Hollis’ internet friend. They’ve never met in person, a fact that the other ladies in the group find very weird, especially as she’s one of Hollis’ fandom fans, known as the Holla Babes, whom she connected with after Matthew’s death.
Gigi served as a huge support system for Hollis as she navigated the loss of her husband, as Hollis later admits to her friends that it was simply easier to confide in a stranger.
What she doesn’t know is that Gigi is no stranger at all.
Not everyone is convinced that Gigi’s intentions are in the right place, likeable as she may be, particularly Dru, who directly asks Gigi what secrets she’s harboring a handful of times.
While Hollis is convinced her friendship with Gigi is purely coincidental, she doesn’t realize there’s actually a deeper connection between them as they’re both mourning the loss of the man they loved.
The same man.
So Who Is Gigi—Really—on The Five Star Weekend?
Dru’s intuition about Gigi isn’t wrong, as fans learn early on in the eight-episode season that Gigi was having an affair with Matthew.
The revelation comes early into the season, letting viewers in on the secret that Gigi’s harboring way before anyone from the “Five Star Weekend” crew catches on.
The difficult part is that Gigi isn’t a bad person. From the get-go, she wrestles with the decision of accepting Hollis’ invitation, knowing she sought her out in the first place to comfort her own pain and ease her guilt. Along the way, the two genuinely bonded and became friends, but under false pretenses, though Hollis remains the one and only thing keeping her connected to Matthew’s memory. No one else understands what she’s going through.
She knows Hollis deserves the truth, but she’s also deeply aware that there’s no chance of a friendship once that truth is out there, so she goes back and forth between telling Hollis and chickening out every time she gets close.
Eventually, the secret gets out on accident, which provides her with some relief, as Brooke finds Gigi’s phone and accidentally stumbles upon a photo of her and Matthew being cozy in the “memories” tab. Brooke confronts Gigi about it, who expresses guilt over the whole thing, knowing that no matter what she says, it doesn’t make the situation any better.
Brooke then wrestles with telling Hollis the truth, knowing that it will ruin her at a time when she’s already trying to pick up the pieces.
The timing is never right, so she eventually confides in Dru and Tatum, who then turn to Gigi to get some answers about the relationship.
THE FIVE STAR WEEKEND — Pictured: (l-r) Jennifer Garner as Hollis, Harlow Jane as Caroline, Gemma Chan as Gigi, Regina Hall as Dru-Ann (Photo by: Seacia Pavao/PEACOCK)
Gigi’s Origin Story
Again, Gigi feels incredibly guilty for the part she’s played in destroying a marriage, all while grappling with the loss of the only man she ever loved, and trying to find closure amid an unexpected friendship with his widow.
Fans learn that Gigi, a pilot, met Matthew, a surgeon, during a weather delay at the airport. They got to talking before letting their feelings get the best of them during an overnight stay at the hotel. They both knew what they were doing was wrong, but they couldn’t stop from diving in, meeting up in different cities along her route for their tryst.
While little is known about Matthew, fans get a glimpse into his broken marriage with Hollis, which only gets worse when their daughter Caroline leaves for college.
Not only is their spark gone, but Matthew doesn’t fully support her influencer lifestyle, seemingly annoyed with how much effort and attention she puts into it, and dismissing the notion that it’s a fulfilling career.
The morning of the accident, Hollis confronted Matthew about his trip to Paris, questioning why the company was having a conference a few days before Christmas. She expresses that she wants to make their relationship work again, as Matthew questions if it makes her sad that they have to put in this much work into something that was once so easy.
He seems to have a change of heart on his way to the airport, leaving Gigi a message that they have to talk. He never got to end the nearly year-long affair and confess the truth to his wife, as he was in an accident that took his life.
After Hollis learns of the affair, she confronts Gigi, getting the confirmation she needed that her marriage was worse off than she ever cared to admit, though she confesses to her friends that deep down, she always knew; she saw the signs, but she didn’t want to face the music, so she just pretended it wasn’t happening.
While Hollis and Gigi had a real connection, there is no happy ending for them, nor do they see the affair as some kind of blessing that brought them into each other’s lives.
Hollis forgives Gigi and sends her on her way with some toffee, proving that holding a grudge doesn’t benefit anyone. It’s necessary closure for both of them, as Gigi realizes that the ultimate reason she came for the girls’ weekend was to tell Hollis that Matthew chose her in the end.
The confession helps Hollis take the first step in allowing herself to move on, as she hooks up with her high school boyfriend, Jack, the man she still pined for when her marriage was on the rocks.
In a weekend where nothing goes according to plan, despite the detailed itineraries, it was real, raw, and exactly what everyone needed to grow and move forward with authenticity—even Gigi.
Tracker has gone to some dark places before, but human smuggling may be the darkest storyline yet.
Kicking off Season 4 with Colter single-handedly taking on Russian organized crime is a bold move, immediately raising the stakes and signaling that the series isn’t holding back or messing around. And it’s pushing Colter into even more dangerous territory, forcing us to suspend disbelief a bit.
At this rate, he needs a full-blown tactical team at the ready, though, as always, Colter proves he’s more than capable on his own.
His near-perfect aim also remains intact… and we’ll let the show have that one so he can remain the hero we all need each week. The world is bleak, so we need a good guy to root for!
In the Season 4 premiere titled“Safe Harbor,” Colter takes on a case involving a missing father of two, with the man’s son, Charlie, who reaches out after finding his information on Reddit.
Charlie claims his brother is missing, but Colter quickly catches on to the truth—fearing DCFS would separate him and his sibling, Charlie lied to get help.
Colter agrees to take the case anyway, understandably, as he understands the hardships single parents face.
He also recognizes the emotional weight Charlie is carrying, as he knows what it’s like to have to step up after losing a parent to be there for your siblings.
Colter’s investigation leads him to a connection between Shawn and a woman named Stephanie, who works at the port.
Shawn recently purchased a gun to protect her, so it’s obvious they’re wrapped up in something dangerous.
Things escalate quickly when Randy tracks their last location to a crime scene with a male’s dead body. Thankfully, the victim isn’t Shawn but rather Stephanie’s ex, Brent.
Still, this is no romantic dispute gone wrong—it runs much deeper.
“Safe Harbor” — Coverage of the CBS Original Series Tracker, scheduled to air on the CBS Television Network. Pictured: Derek Phillips as Sean Wooledge, Justin Hartley as Colter Shaw, Hiram Murray as Security Guard, Photo: Tyler Golden/CBS ©2026 CBS Broadcasting, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Using his charm, Colter secures surveillance footage from a nearby gas station, revealing that both Stephanie and Shawn were taken following the tussle at the house. A partial license plate gives him just enough to track the couple down before it’s too late.
Shawn gives Colter a brief breakdown of the situation—Stephanie’s ex worked for dangerous people and had been pressuring her to make a container disappear, something she refused to do.
It’s an all-hands-on-deck case, as
Reenie digs into the ex’s background and discovers he was tied to a federal investigation.
The people Brent was involved with? The Russians. And what were they trafficking in that container? People, not good.
Even in the face of that danger, Colter doesn’t hesitate, risking everything to save Stephanie—and everyone trapped inside the containers.
Thankfully, he succeeds, bringing Shawn home safely to his children, who had already lost too much.
Some of the most compelling Tracker moments come when Colter takes cases that aren’t about the paycheck, this being one of them.
He knew Charlie couldn’t afford it, but he saw himself in him, even praising him for showing good judgment and instinct, doing exactly what he would’ve done.
Charlie feels like a future Colter 2.0—and without that instinct, the case would have ended very differently, as Colter found Shawn and Stephanie just in time.
As far as season premieres go, this was a solid hour, smoothly dropping viewers right back into Colter’s world without missing a beat.
Colter remains a lone wolf, for now, while relying on his network for intel, though hopefully that won’t be the case all season—especially with hints that he may be getting a more permanent love interest.
Reenie is also eyeing a new office space, a subtle way of addressing the show’s shift to filming in California instead of British Columbia.
The premiere also sets up a new (or rather, old) connection for Reenie. Maxine reveals that Adam—someone who remembers her from their school days—is interested now that she’s single.
Reenie may not be smitten with Adam just yet, but fans of The Vampire Diaries surely are, as Adam is played by Michael Malarkey (TVD’s Enzo), who is described as “disarmingly handsome,” (again, we know), intelligent, and sophisticated—with just enough of a bad-boy edge. He works as a private investigator for high-end law firms.
Could this finally be the answer to Reenie’s love life? Let’s be honest—her track record hasn’t exactly been great.
I didn’t have high expectations going into A Knight to Remember, and honestly, a big part of that came down to the promotional poster. It didn’t capture the charm you expect from a Hallmark movie, and it certainly didn’t do Julie Gonzalo and James Trevena any favors with those blank stares.
A statue of an English knight arrives in Chicago for an art exhibit. While cleaning the statue, museum conservator Emily impulsively kisses the statue, bringing him to life. Photo: James Trevena, Julie Gonzalo Credit: ©2026 Hallmark Media/Photographer: Allister Foster
Still, I gave it a shot. It’s set in my hometown, Chicago, so I felt like I had to support it; plus, I’m a sucker for a predictable, cheesy love story. Much to my surprise, I ended up genuinely enjoying it and liking it way more than I thought I would. It’s easy to be critical of these movies because, yes, they’re into all the Hallmark staples—with plenty of pumpkin spice latte references to emphasize that this is a fall film—but there’s also real heart and some solid comedic moments.
I wasn’t fully convinced by the premise of a medieval knight who’s turned to stone and accidentally comes back to life to find true love. But as I started my watch, my mind raced to remember where I saw a knight-turned-real-boy storyline before, eventually landing on one of the more enjoyable Christmas films of years prior— Vanessa Hudgens The Knight Before Christmas. Turns out, there is something captivating and heartwarming about time-traveling knights (with great manners and a big flirting game) finding their place in the modern world.
As for the plot, there was plenty to work with, starting in 1428, when marrying for love wasn’t the norm; Sir Griffin already knew he didn’t want the life laid out for him. Maybe he was more of a modern man than he ever even knew.
In fact, he’d rather be turned to stone than marry Princess Beatrice, which, frankly, says a lot. I do wish we got more of his past, or even a glimpse of Beatrice, but alas, the story fully focused on Griffin’s present-day adventures, navigating a world that was so deeply unfamiliar to his time.
As Griffin’s wish was granted centuries later, he woke up after Emily planted a kiss on his stone lips. And yes, I did spend a few minutes wondering why she committed to fully kissing a stone figure with such passion, but I guess we’re just rolling with it. Love (or loneliness) makes you do crazy things!
As the stone pieces keeping him trapped break away, Griffin is freed. And he’s been preserved in all his glory, apparently, without any bad breath! (I know, these are the things you just accept when diving into these rom-coms, but I couldn’t shake it.)
He navigates this big, new world with wide-eyed wonder.
The biggest thing to throw him off? Cars… or rather, rideshares.
From here on out, I will be referring to my shower as “indoor rain” because that’s much more logical. Thanks, Griffin.
Memory foam beds (“sleeping on clouds”) and bagels—all become part of his journey, as does a pumpkin spice latte, and it’s charming to see him enjoy one for the first time ever.
Meanwhile, Emily is dealing—very casually, I might add—with the whole “a statue went missing” fiasco at the museum.
“What, did it just get legs and walk away?” my mother would ask… And, well…
Personally, I would not be that calm, but she clearly doesn’t have the same debilitating anxiety that I do anytime my boss pings me asking if I have a minute to chat.
And she’s far more focused on helping Griffin complete his quest before he turns back to stone again, a fate he’d, understandably, like to avoid if at all possible.
Part of that mission involves Emily convincing herself and everyone around her that she’s not into him, despite being totally into him.
And there’s the aptly-timed Medieval Fayre hosted by her good friend Marcus, who was totally crushing on her work BFF, Ivy. Griffin picked up on it in mere seconds, but sadly, we never got to see anything pan out between them, which is a missed opportunity. There was no payoff to all those moments teasing the connection between Ivy and Marcus. Couldn’t we get a little kiss on the cheek during one of the fair moments?
There’s also Emily’s ex, Tom, who complicates everything.
He’s leading the investigation into the missing statue, clearly motivated by career ambition (which tells us all we need to know about what kind of husband he was), along with a smidge of little jealousy that Emily has a hunky new dude around.
A statue of an English knight arrives in Chicago for an art exhibit. While cleaning the statue, museum conservator Emily impulsively kisses the statue, bringing him to life. Photo: James Trevena, Julie Gonzalo Credit: ©2026 Hallmark Media/Photographer: Luka Cyprian
To be fair, his suspicion that Griffin could be a con artist isn’t entirely unreasonable given the armour with the residue matching the one found at the museum. But it’s the way he undermines Emily in the process, suggesting she’s so gullible, that makes it so extremely easy to root against him. When he tries to rekindle their relationship, playing the “I miss you” and “you were the best thing to happen to me” card, she shuts it down quickly—and rightfully so.
In the end, Tom gets what’s coming to him when his conflict of interest is exposed, as well as the fact that he broke into an apartment to obtain evidence.
He really thought he did something…
It’s a satisfying moment, just as it was to see Emily tell Tom the entire truth about Griffin, only for him to dismiss it as a joke. I wouldn’t have minded seeing Tom fully realize just how wrong he was about Griffin, and that he just lost the love of his life to a piece of stone!
The core of the story revolves around Griffin’s fate, as Emily has just three days to fall in love with him or he’ll turn to stone forever.
The catch is that her feelings have to be real, as Griffin refuses to tell Emily what’s at stake so that she doesn’t feel manipulated or forced into loving him.
No pressure or anything!
The deadline looms, but Emily continues to struggle to admit how she feels, her past with Tom clearly leaving its mark.
Even as Griffin’s fingers begin to turn gray, Emily can’t get the words out, which is frustrating.
Of course, this is Hallmark, so things work out. Emily realizes her life has been split into “before Griffin” and “after Griffin,” and she can’t imagine a life without him. The clarity helps her finally embrace her feelings, and it’s sealed with a kiss.
Griffin stays in the modern world to permanently enjoy the perks of indoor plumbing, and the two move forward together, bringing their story to life as part of the museum’s exhibit, which is such a hit that they’re embarking on a world tour.
It’s a happy ending, as expected—even if Emily had us in the first half.
As for the standout quote from the film, the award goes to Griffin, as he reflects on the world that no longer exists: “I do not ache for lost love, I ache for lost life.”
Slightly cheesy? Sure! But also surprisingly meaningful.
Did you enjoy A Knight to Remember as much as I did? What stood out most to you? Share your thoughts!
Widow’s Bay is getting even more attention as of late, ever since the first season of the Apple TV comedy-horror swept the Emmys!
The 10-episode first season aired from the end of April to mid-June this year, leaving fans on a bit of a cliffhanger as they anticipated whether or not a second season was in the works.
Here’s everything we know about whether Widow’s Bay will return for a second season—and what the season 1 ending means for season 2.
Will Widow’s Bay Return for Season 2?
Yes, there will be a second season of Widow’s Bay.
Apple TV officially renewed the hit comedy-horror series on June 11, 2026, just before the twisty and jaw-dropping season 1 finale.
And even if the series didn’t anticipate doing a second season, the fact that it set a record at the Emmys, winning across several categories for a total of 14 wins, marking the most of any single season of a TV comedy series in history, means you have to give the people what they want.
Of course, there’s always the risk that a second season might be too much, ruining the excellence that was season 1, but hopefully, it delivers on all the elements that made the first season such a hit. They set a high bar for themselves!
And there’s plenty of story left to tell, along with questions that remain unanswered.
“From the moment audiences arrived in Widow’s Bay, they’ve been hooked on every eerie mystery, unexpected laughs, and cursed secret that Katie, Hiro, Matthew, and the entire team have created,” said Matt Cherniss, head of programming, Apple TV, on June 11. “It’s become one of those shows everyone’s talking about, and we’re thrilled to see audiences continue to embrace it. We can’t wait to return for another season.”
When Does Production on Widow’s Bay Season 2 Start?
Matthew Rhys, who plays Mayor Tom Loftis, revealed that season 2 filming will begin in spring 2027, telling Al Roker during a Sept. 18 appearance on Today, “We start, I believe, April of next year, I think.”
Of course, that means we’re likely going to see a nearly two-year gap between seasons.
Deadline reported that a writers’ room was assembled in August 2026, which is good news!
Creator Katie Dippold told the outlet, “Week 3, feeling great. “I think it’s fun. With the groundwork laid in Season 1, they have a lot more room to grow in Season 2. I feel like I always look at Season 1 — what was really hard with that is having to lay all the groundwork. ‘Haunted Island’ sounds silly and terrible, honestly. I’m still happy they all signed up. It’s a tough pitch. I feel like a lot of groundwork was laid in Season 1 so you can buy it. So, it’s making Season 2 much more fun.”
For now, there is no official premiere date for Season 2.
Widow’s Bay Cast—Including a New Series Regular for Season 2
- Matthew Rhys as Tom Loftis (mayor)
- Kate O’Flynn as Patricia
- Kevin Carroll as Bechir
- Dale Dickey as Rosemary
- Kylie McNeill as Kelly
- Beck Nolan as PJ
- Charles Van Flaherty as Gil
- Christian Clemenson as Dr. Morgan
- Kalala Kiwanuka-Woernle as Hannah
- Hamish Linklater as Richard Warren
- Olli Haaskivi as Ray
Deadline reported that Jeff Hiller, who plays Dale, an employee at the mayor’s office, will be upped to a series regular for the second season. And it only makes sense, as he’s one of the only people who has seen the archival footage of the terrifying sacrifices on the cursed island in the season 1 finale, which prompted him to tell everyone that “this place is a death trap, run,” while they were taking shelter in the storm bunker.
Hiller’s quirky and oddball nature meant that he’d often provide comedic energy as a scene-stealer, so keeping him around makes sense, especially as the town’s curse becomes common knowledge and plays a larger role. Unfortunately for Dale, it means that he wasn’t able to get off the island.
And all of this brings us to…
Widow’s Bay Season 1 Ending Explained—And What It Means for Season 2
The first season of Widow’s Bay built towards a finale that fully leaned into the show’s eerie and offbeat tone, emphasizing that something more sinister was simmering beneath the surface in the coastal town.
In the final episode, Mayor Tom Loftis finally began to understand that the strange events plaguing the town aren’t random and cannot be brushed off, especially as they have a direct connection to him.
Some residents seem more aware of the truth than others—though how much do they actually know? Dale is horrified watching the recruitment tape, but someone has to remember the sacrifices that were made. Some characters seem to only begin to realize the scope of what’s going on, meaning the town may be choosing who understands the truth and when.
Tom believes the only way to stop the island’s curse is to kill Ruth, the sweet elderly secretary who works for him, who he believes is the last living descendant of the town’s devilish founder, Richard Warren.
He tries to drug Ruth, but as the effects start to kick in, she drops a bombshell that changes everything—she had a secret child. And she watched that secret child grow up and marry… Tom. Ruth’s daughter is Tom’s late wife, Lauren, who suffered a sudden stroke and lost her vision as she tried to leave the island while pregnant, before eventually passing away in a psychiatric hospital, proving that original islanders and bloodline descendants cannot ever escape the island.
And since they had a son, Evan, he is the last true descendant, and while he’s alive, the curse continues. Sheriff Bechir arrives and shoots Ruth, believing it will stop everything to protect his unborn child from the curse, but Tom informs him she’s not the last descendant. He then lies and says he has no idea who is, clearly unable to sacrifice his own son for the greater good. The storm stops, however, leading him to think that maybe the curse was broken… until they hear the church bells ring again days later.
As Dale learned in his video, the island demands human sacrifices, and each bell toll represents one life, or as the recruitment video states, “one soul for each bell toll.”
No one knows why the storm stopped; however, town custodian Kenny became trapped in the hidden tunnel and was killed as a sacrifice while trying to help Evan and his friends, fulfilling the island’s demand for a short while.
Going into season 2, there’s plenty of unanswered questions, starting with what will Tom do? Who knows about Widow’s Bay’s sacrifices? Is there another way out? Why is the town cursed to begin with? Is there a chance that killing Evan won’t break the curse?
Anna Pigeon2 weeks agoAnna Pigeon Season 1 Episode 8 Review: A Shocking Shooting Leaves [SPOILER’s] Life Hanging in the Balance
Anna Pigeon3 weeks agoAnna Pigeon Season 1 Episode 7 Review – The Three Matt Skweikis
TV7 days agoWhat Happened to Mae Green in ‘Ted Lasso’? Season 4 Episode 9 Plot Twist and Ending Explained
Hallmark3 weeks agoHallmark Unveils 2026 Countdown to Christmas Schedule—Including the Premiere Date for ‘Mistletoe Murders’ Season 3
News2 weeks agoWhen Does ‘All American’ End? Series Finale Date, Time and What to Expect
TV7 days agoWho Is Anthony Head in ‘Ted Lasso’? The Tribute Card at the End of Season 4 Episode 9 Explained
Christmas2 weeks agoGreat American Family’s 2026 Christmas Lineup Is Here Boasting 18 Holiday Films and the Biggest Stars—Including Candace Cameron Bure
What to Watch6 days agoIs There a New ‘Traitors: New Blood’ Episode Tonight (October 1, 2026)? Full NBC Release Schedule