A new romance series hit Prime Video on May 13 named Off Campus, intended for mature audiences. Known for their book-to-screen adaptations, Prime released eight episodes with the first season being based off the book The Deal by Elle Kennedy.
Originally a book series by the same name, Off Campus was written with each novel revolving around a different couple, with each leading man playing on the same hockey team. The first season follows Garrett Graham and Hannah Wells, played by Belmont Cameli and Ella Bright respectively, as they navigate their lives through college while falling in love with each other. Initially, Hannah is interested in a singer named Justin played by Josh Heuston. Garrett sees this and in exchange for Hannah’s tutoring services, he helps her to try and attract Josh. During this time, both main characters are set out of their comfort zones as they face family drama, past trauma, all the while navigating their own careers.
The writing can be quite cheesy, with overuse of hockey terms being used in their everyday vocabulary, even though the show doesn’t include very many scenes of them actually playing hockey. Despite the shows’ awkward moments, the balance between comedy and handling serious real-world problems keeps the show entertaining, yet relatable and emotional.
The plot is predictable and standard for any classic romcom. A peculiar situation where a boy and a girl are forced to spend prolonged amounts of time together and inevitably fall in love. Despite the fact we’ve all seen this story happen a million times, the show managed to revive this art form yet again leading to it currently blowing up on social media. What makes this show so charming is not only Hannah and Garrett’s love story, but the entire ensemble of characters. Garretts’ whole hockey team is loveable, with all of them appearing nothing but defensive of the ones they love. There is also Allie and Dean having their own whirlwind romance on the side, creating an iconic moment of them dancing to “On the Floor” by Jennifer Lopez and Pitbull that has overtaken the internet. The song hit one billion streams on Spotify recently after blowing up yet again, which seems to correlate with its appearance on the show.