“Off Campus” Is Taking Over Our Feed (And Brains) But, Is It As Good As Everyone Hopes?
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Posted 1 minute ago
“Off Campus” Is Taking Over Our Feed (And Brains) But, Is It As Good As Everyone Hopes?
You can love all hockey shows equally, BTW.
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by Angeline BarionBuzzFeed Staff
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by Bernice CorralBuzzFeed Contributor
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Warning: Spoilers ahead for Off Campus Season 1!
Off Campus is the new book-to-screen adaptation on everyone's lips. Take a sneak peek:
View this video on YouTube
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The series, based on books by Elle Kennedy, follows Briar University hockey players — Garrett Graham, John Logan, Dean Di Laurentis and John Tucker — and their respective off-the-ice romances.
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Each novel — The Deal, The Mistake, The Score and The Goal — centres one couple and a multitude of romance tropes. We are almost certain that each Off Campus season to follow will do the same.
All eyes are on Briar University Hockey team captain, Garrett Graham (played by Belmont Cameli) and music extraordinare, Hannah Wells (played by Ella Bright) for this series premiere. Who will fall first when he's team "doesn't do girlfriends" and she has her sights set on a hot, Aussie singer named Justin?
Liane Hentscher/Prime Video
With the 8-episode season airing on May 13 (5PM AEST) and its massive buzz, you might be wondering, "Should I press play?" — we're here to help you decide.
Ahead of the streaming premiere, BuzzFeed Australia's Angeline Barion and Bernice Corral dug into Off Campus Season 1, Episode 1 to 7. Here's what they had to say:
A note from Angeline: Before you read ahead, it should be noted that the leads of this Off Campus season have backstories that include sexual assault and domestic violence. These moments can be quite intense and drawn attention to before viewing.
The depictions of these characters' experiences may be triggering to audiences.
If this article brings up any issues for you or anyone you know, or if you just feel like you need to speak to someone, please contact 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732) — the National Sexual Assault, Domestic and Family Violence Counselling Service.
First off, a bit of background on today's reviewers:
Who doesn’t love a little romance when it comes to TV? I’ve loved my “ships” ever since I was in high school. Slow burns are probably one of my favourite tropes, think Janine and Gregory from Abbott Elementary, Jess and Nick from New Girl or Belly and Conrad in The Summer I Turned Pretty. Seeing two characters on-screen destined for each other FINALLY get together after how many seasons? There’s no better feeling.
I was really interested in giving Off Campus a watch. Since I hadn’t read the books, I went in with zero expectations.
I’ve always been all consumed by romance books/shows/movies. The secret lover girl that exists deep within my soul continues to obsess over early 2000s media that spotlighted the bad-boy-turned-good because of love. Toxic? Probs! But I don’t let that stop me from watching. So, when I thought that’s what was happening in Off Campus, I considered myself sat and along for the ride.
Let me be honest, I started reading the book mere minutes after I finished watching episodes 1-7 of the show — 1) because I was desperate to know how it ends and 2) because I needed to know Garrett’s inner dialogue. I was not disappointed. However, this pursuit left me wanting to see more of The Deal’s elements on screen and ultimately, excited to see how they try to execute the ending.
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Stand out scenes and favourite episodes?
Episodes 5 and 6 are stand outs for me and serve a lot of the ensembles’ arcs. In episode 5 we’re introduced to a different side of Garrett, one that I wasn’t expecting. We see how Garrett and Hannah act as anchors for each other while individually healing from their traumas. It’s emotional and raw, but does a great job at positioning this show as more than “just” a cliche, college romance story.
On the complete opposite side, episode 6 is a LOT of fun. This episode centres around a particular couple that I won’t spoil. It had moments that made me kick my feet and giggle and wanting to know more about them. I’m counting down the days until their season airs.
My hands down favourite scene is at 35:37 in episode 7. Garrett’s reaction in that moment had me rewatching, over and over again, wondering what prompted it because it’s mildly out of pocket when placed next to Ella Bright’s emotional performance.
As for favourite episodes, I can’t look past episode 2 because my goodness, Hannah and Garrett were playing some dangerous games. From Garrett’s voice hitting a different tone of menacing to Hannah taking the lead in a *certain situation*, this episode laid the groundwork for obsession and a curiosity for how Allie, Dean and Logan’s futures would unfold. The intersecting storylines already have me wondering who will take the lead in Season 2…
But what I loved most about it was how it showed the leads’ softness towards each other and the ease of their dyna