Warning: This article contains spoilers for The Five-Star Weekend, now streaming on Peacock, and Elin Hilderbrand’s novel of the same name.
One of the biggest emotional arcs in Peacock‘s The Five-Star Weekend belongs to Brooke Kirtley, and according to D’Arcy Carden, that’s exactly what drew her to the role.
The A League of Their Own and The Good Place star plays Brooke opposite Jennifer Garner, Chloë Sevigny, Regina Hall and Gemma Chan in the adaptation of Elin Hilderbrand’s bestselling 2023 novel. While the series follows celebrity chef Hollis Shaw (Garner) as she hosts a getaway with friends from every chapter of her life, Brooke’s story quietly evolves into one of the show’s most moving journeys.
Speaking with People, Carden said she felt an immediate connection to Brooke long before cameras started rolling.
“I felt like this from the second I read Brooke, that I know her,” Carden said. “There’s parts of me that I definitely could relate to Brooke, but I just know this woman. I know her as a kid, I know her as a teenager, I know her as an adult woman. I just know her, and she wants to be accepted, and she is so lonely, and she’s always feeling inferior.”
Brooke’s Weekend Becomes A Turning Point
When audiences first meet Brooke, she’s consumed by expectations. Much of her identity revolves around being a wife and mother, leaving little room to discover who she is outside those roles.
Over the course of Hollis’ Nantucket retreat, however, Brooke slowly begins peeling away those layers. What starts as an escape from everyday life becomes something far more personal as she confronts feelings she’s spent years pushing aside.
Among the biggest revelations is Brooke’s attraction to women. The realization unfolds gradually, with encouragement from the women around her and an unexpected connection with local tour guide Sunny, played by Roberta Colindrez.
For Carden, one particular moment captures that emotional shift.
“Thinking of that bar scene where she dances with Sunny, I would say cathartic is a great word for it,” she said.
The dance sequence marks a noticeable change in Brooke’s demeanor after spending much of the series emotionally guarded.
“For the first half of the show, [Brooke is] just like a tight little ball. In that scene [with Sunny], I feel like she finally lets her shoulders down and can loosen up a little bit,” Carden explained. “It was great. I’m happy for her.”
Friendship Helps Brooke Find Herself
Although Brooke’s romantic awakening becomes a defining part of her story, Carden believes it wouldn’t have happened without the support of the women surrounding her.
Early in the trip, Brooke unexpectedly kisses Gigi Ling (Gemma Chan), who responds with compassion rather than judgment. That acceptance, Carden says, helps Brooke begin seeing herself in a different light.
“Slowly but surely, the other girls [are] almost, like, seeing her before she sees herself, and just kind of saying like, ‘Come on. Come on. Be you,'” Carden said.
She also praised Gigi’s response to Brooke’s vulnerable moment.
“Gigi is so warm and lovely and accepting and [doesn’t make] her feel like a weirdo.”
Rather than centering the storyline solely on romance, The Five-Star Weekend frames Brooke’s experience through friendship and self-discovery. The women around her become mirrors, reflecting possibilities she had never allowed herself to consider.
Bringing Brooke To Life
Carden said she developed her understanding of Brooke through both Hilderbrand’s novel and the television scripts. Despite differences between the two versions, her feelings toward the character remained consistent.
“You just want to take [Brooke] and shake her and give her a hug and say, ‘You’re okay. You’re enough.'”
That empathy ultimately shaped her performance, making Brooke’s transformation feel earned instead of sudden. By the time the weekend comes to a close, Brooke has embraced a version of herself she had long kept hidden.
Looking back on the role, Carden described the experience as deeply rewarding.
“It was really beautiful,” she said of Brooke’s evolution. “I think she’s experiencing life in a way that she never has let herself before this weekend.”
For LGBTQ+ viewers, Brooke’s storyline offers a reminder that self-discovery doesn’t follow a schedule. Whether it happens at 16 or 46, embracing your identity can arrive when you’re finally surrounded by people who make you feel safe enough to be yourself.
The Five-Star Weekend is now streaming on Peacock.
