mainstay

Some of us are booked and busy six days a week traveling to the Mamanuca Islands of Fiji by way of the current season of “Love Island USA.” But sometimes an escape needs an escape. Peacock has a new beachy series that adapts Elin Hilderbrand’s bestselling 2023 novel, “The Five-Star Weekend.”

Now streaming, the series stars Jennifer Garner as Hollis, a lifestyle influencer grieving the death of her husband who decides to host a getaway to Nantucket with old and new friends — played by Regina Hall, Chloë Sevigny, D’Arcy Carden and Gemma Chan — to try to heal. It’s primarily a story of grief, resilience and female camaraderie. But there are glimmers of romance, too, courtesy of Hollis’ childhood boyfriend Jack, played by Timothy Olyphant. It reunites Olyphant and Garner two decades after they starred in the 2006 romantic comedy “Catch & Release.” And it’s not the only series that features Olyphant this month. He’ll also appear in Apple TV’s “Lucky,” which premieres Wednesday with two episodes, as a con artist father to the titular character (Anya Taylor-Joy). Olyphant stopped by Guest Spot to discuss both series.

But this week didn’t just bring new summer launches. A look back at some of the standout series and performances from the recent season of television arrived Wednesday when 2026 Emmy nominations were announced. HBO Max’s “The Pitt” and “Hacks” led the pack — you can check out the full list of nominees here. But you may have more fun reading what our awards czar Glenn Whipp considered a snub or a surprise — come for his pitch-perfect Taylor Swift-Travis Kelce wedding comparison, stay for his astute observations. We also checked in with some of this year’s nominees: Rhea Seehorn (“Pluribus”), Sepideh Moafi (“The Pitt”) and Matthew Rhys (“Widow’s Bay”). (And, hey, if you’re a fan of “Widow’s Bay,” be sure to check out TV critic Robert Lloyd’s brilliant spotlight on K Callan, who has received well-earned praise for her turn as Ruth, the town’s forgetful secretary with a secret.)

Elsewhere in Screen Gab, our writers recommend two animated series that expand two beloved franchises. One focuses on the early days of your favorite “Adventure Time” duo, Finn the Human and Jake the Dog, the other revisits Marvel’s band of heroic mutants.

Meanwhile, I’ve been on my own nostalgia kick, revisiting episodes of “Tales From the Crypt” on Shudder. That decaying Crypt Keeper’s maniacal laugh, I fear, makes me feel like a kid again. Let’s see how long that lasts. See you next week!

— Yvonne Villarreal

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Recommendations from the film and TV experts at The Times

Finn and Jake in “Adventure Time: Side Quests.”

(Cartoon Network Studios)

“Adventure Time: Side Quests” (Disney+, Hulu)

We return to the Land of Ooo in the days when Finn the Human (now voiced by Sasha Knight, Jeremy Shada being almost 30) had not yet turned 13, and the order of the day was to go out and fight things. You’d think reviving a cartoon was easy — just draw the characters, make some similar voices — but we are talking about one of the greatest epics of this century, and I approached this revival with some trepidation. First, I looked to see whether longtime showrunner Adam Muto was still in charge, and he isn’t. But new captain Nate Cash is a veteran of the “Adventure Time” art department, wrote more than 40 episodes of “SpongeBob SquarePants” and was the supervising director on Patrick McHale’s great “Over the Garden Wall,” whose art director Nick Cross is the art director here. The new visual style, which dispenses with the usual outlines and detailing in favor of a sort of painterly Little Golden Book look, is jarring at first, but it grows on you — I mean, I’d buy an “Adventure Time” Little Golden Book — and keeps “Side Quests” from reading like a retread. The stories are good, the new monsters inventive. It’s got spunk. Most importantly, John DiMaggio is back as Jake the Dog, along with Tom Kenny as the Ice King, Olivia Olson as Marceline and Hynden Walch as Princess Bubblegum. Even series creator Pendleton Ward popped in to voice Lumpy Space Princess and write an episode — a seal of approval. — Robert Lloyd

A scene from Season 2 of Marvel’s “X-Men ’97.”

(Marvel)

“X-Men ‘97” (Disney+)

Regardless of whether you attribute it to “fatigue,” it’s no secret that comic book superhero stories have struggled to draw audiences to theaters these last few years. But some of the best offerings of the genre have been on TV. “X-Men ‘97” is a revival of one of my formative media experiences — “X-Men: The Animated Series.” Boasting some returning talent among the cast and creatives, “X-Men ‘97” continues the story of the iconic mutant team as they navigate being superheroes in a world that doesn’t always accept them for who they are. The first season leaned into some signature X-Men themes around tolerance, xenophobia and extremist violence while trying to thwart a superpowered genocidal human-android hybrid that wields an army of killer robots. The second season, which premiered earlier this month, picks up after the cliffhanger that saw members of the X-Men team scattered across time to cross paths with different versions of the powerful supervillain Apocalypse. Expect plenty of action, interpersonal tensions and philosophical dilemmas around destiny and morality. — Tracy Brown

Guest spot

A weekly chat with actors, writers, directors and more about what they’re working on — and what they’re watching

Timothy Olyphant in “Lucky.”

(Jessica Brooks / Apple TV)

Is it even July if Timothy Olyphant isn’t on your screen? Whether you prefer a breezy watch or a grifter thriller, the veteran actor has it covered. In Peacock’s “The Five-Star Weekend,” he plays the cool and charming high school sweetheart who softly orbits the show’s grief-stricken protagonist (Jennifer Garner) as she tries to heal from the death of her husband. The green flags are less obvious with his turn in Apple TV’s crime thriller “Lucky” as John Armstrong, an imprisoned father whose daughter (Anya Taylor-Joy) is on the run after the multimillion-dollar heist he got her caught up in collapses. It has the pair caught between a determined FBI agent (Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor) and the ruthless mob boss (Annette Bening).

And there’s more Olyphant in the pipeline. Production on Season 2 of FX’s “Alien: Earth” is underway. And later this year, he can be seen reprising his “Once Upon a Time in … Hollywood” character James Stacy — the true-life star of late-1960s western show “Lancer” — in David Fincher’s “The Adventures of Cliff Booth.” When does he sleep? When we caught him by phone in mid-June, he assured us he had just completed a lengthy nap. He discussed what it was like sharing screen time with Bening, reuniting with Garner and the small-time sports event that had his attention. — Y.V.

In “Lucky,” you’re playing a con artist who has brought his daughter into a criminal underworld. What did their father-daughter dynamic reveal to you?

There is something compelling about exploring a relationship in which a man has done a lot of damage to his kid without even seemingly knowing it. The idea of hurting your kids is like just the worst nightmare possible. The idea of doing it without even being aware of it makes it even worse. I knew [creator Jonathan] Tropper was behind it all, and he’s an extremely good writer, so I knew it was in good hands with exploring that material in a really elegant way.

You’re known for playing lawmen, but you have also played antagonists — both types of characters are often willing to cross lines or bend rules or sacrifice things to achieve what they see as the greater good. How do you think about those two types of figures?

I do find it compelling exploring the conflict between of feeling like you have to break rules in order to enforce rules and this idea of the original sin. Any interesting character has to be aware they’re capable of sin, except for maybe on “Law & Order,” but for the most part, life is complicated.

In the first two episodes of “Lucky,” your interactions are strictly with Anya and with Annette — both are dynamic performers at different stages in their careers. What stands out to you about sharing scenes with them?

Anya is really impressive because she has a composure and a strength to her that just seems beyond her years. I certainly didn’t have it when I was her age, and I just have a tremendous amount of respect for her and how she handled things on the other side of the camera,. And Annette is just a wonderfully unpredictable actor, take to take. You never see the same thing twice, and you never feel like you’re not playing in the right sandbox. It’s just a honor and a pleasure to work with her.

There’s a moment where Annette put her hand on your cheek — it terrified me.

Can I tell you? Only one take. And I’m smart enough to know, when that she did that, I thought to myself, “This is going to be on TV.”

Let’s also talk about “Five–Star Weekend.” Its focus is not necessarily on romance, but of friendship between women, but you do factor in as a flirtation of sorts for Jennifer Garner’s character. You’ve worked together before in 2006’s “Catch and Release.” How was it to reunite with her for this?

A pleasure. She’s a pro and gave just a wonderful performance in that show. It was easy-peasy working with her. I show up. They gave you a lot of cool things to say, and somebody hands you really cool wardrobe, the acting partner is really good, and so it makes the job pretty simple.

Timothy Olyphant as Jack and Jennifer Garner as Hollis in Peacock’s “The Five-Star Weekend.”

(Greg Gayne / Peacock)

You’re also reprising your “Once Upon a Time in … Hollywood” character James Stacy in David Fincher’s “The Adventures of Cliff Booth.” What’s it like being directed by him? How does he deliver a directing note?

That’s just that experience is really high up on the bucket list, and I just thank my lucky stars I had that opportunity. It was a very special experience.

He gives them [notes] out quite generously, is what he does. He gives you many and often, it’s really unlike anything I’ve experienced. I really enjoyed. It felt like a workout; it was this intense exploration of of the work. I hope I get another opportunity [to work with him]. I’d be thrilled.

You’re beginning production on Season 2 of “Alien: Earth.” What has it been like playing this android with bleached hair and eyebrows in this fictional world? The level of artistry of that set is quite something; I can’t imagine what it’s like being on that set.

It’s essentially child’s play, but sometimes it feels like you’re saying that with capital letters — this falls under that category. So many of the effects are practical, so many of the creatures are practical, so it’s a kick to be around that stuff. It’s a lot of oohing and aahing when you’re working with practical effects. And it’s about something. It’s got something to say. That’s pretty special when those two things come together.

Being on a set with those monsters that I watched as a kid, that I was thrilled watching those movies — to now wake up one day, and you’re part of that, you pinch yourself a little bit.

What can you tease about the new season?

It’s gonna get weird. There’s a lot going on on the surface and under the surface on this one.

Before I let you go, what show has your attention? I know you’ve been busy, so if you can’t tell me what you’ve watched recently, is there something you plan to watch on your long plane ride?

Does the World Cup count? I’ve got the World Cup fever. It’s just one of the greatest sporting events in the world.

Are you primarily rooting for us? Who are you going for?

What do you mean, am I rooting for us?

I mean, when we’re not playing, who are you rooting for?

I root for Brazil. My wife grew up in Brazil, so there’s a lot of Brazilian enthusiasm here in this house. I root too for our people to the north; I’m a fan of the Canadians. I just love that event. I love that it’s all these countries and everything evens out on that grass. It’s pretty great.

ICYMI

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