As a romance girlie, I have a particular fondness for the fake dating trope. Two individuals making a deal to pretend date for mutually beneficial reasons, before all that pretense suddenly becomes something real. It’s very thrilling, especially when you can precisely track the moment when they both start feeling something more. My love for the trope is probably why I read The Deal by Elle Kennedy all those years ago, and the reason why I was so excited for Off Campus, the Amazon Prime adaptation of the book.
I wasn’t sure where the series would end up. Would it be a trashy guilty pleasure, à la The Tearsmith, or a decent romance TV series? Off Campus actually ends up being the latter; it’s a show that cares about its characters. The main characters are developed outside of their romantic relationship, as are all the other characters. There’s balance in the main plot and subplots, and this is one of the few shows where I can safely say I liked nearly all the characters.
Hannah Wells (Ella Bright) has a crazy stupid crush on Justin Kohl (Josh Heuston), but she can’t seem to get his attention and all their interactions are awkward due to how nervous Hannah feels. So when Briar University’s all star hockey player Garrett Graham (Belmont Cameli) offers her a deal that will help her get Justin’s attention, she accepts. The deal in question: they will pretend date each other to make her more interesting to Justin (not the most feminist strategy but effective), and she will tutor him to a decent grade in Philosophy class. Given Garrett’s track record of casual relationships, they need to convince everyone that they’re serious about each other, which becomes remarkably easy because they’re already attracted to each other.
There was a lot of division online when Cameli was cast, for looking too old or not having enough ‘Garrett Graham’ energy – whatever that means. I think he’s perfect for the part. He’s great looking but in a regular guy kinda way, and reminds me of the romantic leads from one of those John Hughes’ movies. Cameli embodies all sides of Garrett Graham: the smug hot-headed hockey player, the smitten boyfriend, and the vulnerable young man. He and Bright have natural, sweet chemistry with each other, mainly because their characters start out as best friends first before they become something more.
As perfect as Cameli is as Garrett Graham, Bright is even more so. She’s such a skilled performer and is effortlessly effervescent as Hannah. All the main musical set pieces are helmed by her, and they are so memorable. A romantic movie/show is nothing without memorable musical moments, and Off Campus has a ton. We got the ‘Cherry Pie’ karaoke scene – Bright is red hot gorgeous in that scene – and a stripped down version of ‘Baby Now That I’ve Found You’ by The Foundations. What makes these moments even more meaningful is that they’re throwbacks to previous moments in Hannah and Garrett’s relationship.
Given that Off Campus is adapted from a series of books based around Briar U’s hockey players, this is an ensemble show that spends time with the other characters as well, namely John Logan (Antonio Cipriano), Dean Di Laurentis (Stephen Kalyn) and John Tucker (Jalen Thomas Brooks). There’s a tiny bit of conflict though, as Logan has an unrequited crush on Hannah. Cipriano plays it really great though, we see the lingering gazes even before it’s told to us explicitly. He’s effortlessly charming and considerate, and I know all the fans are ferally awaiting his love story in the later seasons. While there’s envy of Garrett at times, we know it doesn’t come from a hateful place. Logan’s had to fight hard for every opportunity in life, and even does odd jobs to earn some money on the side, while it seems like things are just so effortless for Garrett. He gets all his hockey dreams and the dream girl, while Logan’s left in the dust.
Even Dean, the campus rake, is properly developed beyond his man-whore ways. He’s given this amazing conversation with Garrett about sex and consent, and his burgeoning romance with Allie is sweet and hot in a different way to Garrett and Hannah. That first dance with Allie (Mika Abdalla) while she’s wearing the J.Lo green Versace dress and Dean’s dressed as Maverick from Top Gun – iconic. I’m not ashamed to admit that I’ve replayed that scene a fair number of times. Showrunner Louisa Levy and co know what appeals to the female gaze, we get tons of unflinching eye contact and yearning hands. It builds an atmosphere of sensuality in intimate scenes, and there’s also a lot of focus on feeling safe and comfortable with each other. It’s been a while since a show handle topics on sex and other more sensitive topics with such tact.
My only criticism is the lack of balance in the light and dark spaces of the show. We start off so light and fluffy, so when things take a turn about midway into the series, it can kind of feel a little bit like whiplash. I know Garrett and Hannah have tragic backstories, but the show could have struck a bit more of a balance by having sweeter moments between the pair instead of just a descent into gloom and despair.
When compared to the other hockey romance that came out recently, namely Heated Rivalry, Off Campus does feel a bit inferior. Heated Rivalry has fantastic cinematography and the leads have mega-watt chemistry. Nevertheless, it’s a win for us romance fans, as Off Campus being a decent adaptation means there’s more good TV for us to enjoy. Now, bring on season 2.
REVIEW SCORE: 4/5
