Off Campus: TV Series Review

If you're just like me and you're currently going through severe Heated Rivalry withdrawals, I have just the show for you (although this one's focused on a straight relationship, rather than a queer one). If you've been anywhere on the internet recently, you've probably seen something about Off Campus, the new Prime original tv show that's got everyone in a chokehold.

So what is Off Campus about and, most importantly, does it live up to the hype?

Based on the bestselling book-series by Elle Kennedy, Off Campus is a romantic comedy-drama set in college. Our protagonist, Hannah, is a slightly awkward but charming music major who hates hockey. She has a major, unrequited crush on musician Justin, who doesn't even know she exists. The captain and star player of the Briar University hockey team, Garrett, has a bright future ahead of him. He's also known as a womanizer who "doesn't do girlfriends".

Although brilliant on the hockey rink, Garrett struggles with his classes and is afraid he won't pass them. He approaches Hannah and strikes her a deal: he will help her gain the interest of her crush, in exchange for her helping him study. Initially reluctant, Hannah ends up agreeing to the plan, and the two of them start fake dating.

Fake dating as a trope can be quite a polarising one amongst rom-com lovers, but Off Campus pulls it of well, and, before you know it, Garrett and Hannah end up falling for each other for real.

Having just finished binge-watching the entire first season, I can see exactly why Off Campus has taken the world by storm (and has already been confirmed for a second season). The show has all the elements of success that you'd want in a college based soap.

The cast is really charming. Our main couple is portrayed by Belmont Cameli and Ella Bright, who do a great job at making Hannah and Garrett's relationship feel believable and genuine. We then have Mika Abdala, who plays Allie, Hannah's best friend, a hopeless romantic who is seemingly unable of having just "flings". The two have a very close and healthy friendship. Stephen Kalyn plays Dean, one of Garrett's hockey teammates who ends up secretly hooking up with Allie and, before he knows it, falling for her. There are a couple of other fan favourites amongst the cast, Antonio Cipriano being one of them, who portrays John Logan, Garrett's right-hand man. But the show really is an ensemble effort - all the actors bring life to the characters they portray, making you so attached and invested in their lives in only eight episodes.

Another thing that really makes Off Campus stand out amongst other similar shows is that it's more than just a surface-level story. The show handles (very tactfully and maturely) themes such as domestic violence and rape, the latter being a focal point of one of the character's lives. There are a few scenes that are really difficult to sit through from an emotional stand point, but that are done with such care, consideration, and genuine respect for the subject they're tackling, that you can't help but be grateful they're part of the show.

There is also a recurring portrayal of what consent is and how important it is in this show, from characters discussing it on screen, to actually showing it during sex scenes. Seeing how these kind of shows usually have a younger target audience, I think it's great and very refreshing to see a show make a conscious effort at depicting it.

Season two of Off Campus is already confirmed and filming starts tomorrow. It won't be too long until we find out what happens next (and if you've watched season one, you know it ends on a cliffhanger), but until then, a few rewatches are definitely in order.