Calling all The Summer I Turned Pretty and Heated Rivalry fans, your new binge-worthy YA show just dropped. Off Campus is the latest book-to-screen adaptation filled with spicy scenes, following Hannah Wells (Ella Bright) as she tries to capture the attention of moody musician Justin Khol (Josh Heuston). She strikes a deal with ice hockey captain Garrett Graham (Belmont Cameli) to fake-date in exchange for tutoring, to make Justin jealous. Of course, we can all see where this is going, because Hannah and Garrett inevitably catch feelings.
It’s reminiscent of old CW shows like One Tree Hill and The OC, with the actors’ chemistry shining through. With Season 2 already greenlit and the entirety of Off Campus Season 1 being available on Amazon Prime Video, what are you waiting for? It’s the perfect autumn watch.
Below, entertainment writers Bernice Corral and Rachel Choy chat about all things Off Campus, including how horny it is, the show’s ability to tackle serious topics with care, and how friendship is so important. Spoilers ahead.
Rachel Choy: Were you a fan of the Elle Kennedy books before you watched the show?
Bernice Corral: No. I went into it completely blind, which I’m glad I did, so I didn’t have any expectations.
RC: Me too! So this season is based on the book The Deal, but each season will follow a different hockey player. Kind of like Bridgerton with a new lead each time. Do you feel like that format adds more intrigue?
BC: This season centres on Hannah and Garrett, but the little subplots are a good way to keep fans invested in Season 2, 3, and 4 if they get greenlit. I’m a fan of Bridgerton as well, and that’s something that I like about it, is going into a season thinking you’re going to be attached to one pairing, and then as the story sort of progresses, you’re like, oh, actually, I really like Logan and then Dean and Allie.
RC: DeanAllie’s chemistry is off the charts. Are you a fan of The Summer I Turned Pretty?
BC: Yes, I am. That’s why I thought it was going to be a love triangle.
RC: Between two brothers. There’s so many between two brothers. It’s like, guys, there’s people outside of the gene pool. But, I obviously got obsessed with The Summer I Turned Pretty, although I’m still not a fan of Conrad. Sue me for enjoying healthy communication and not a mopey man.
BC: Really?!
RC: I think they all suck. But I found The Summer I Turned Pretty skewed a bit young in season one, and it felt a bit more cringe. I don’t know what it was, but Off Campus didn’t feel as cringe to me. It was more believable.
BC: I think because it’s set in college so, they’re all adults. There wasn’t that like, naivety that I found with characters like Belly in The Summer I Turned Pretty. Hannah seems quite well developed. And then as the story sort of goes on, we find out about her trauma. It felt a bit more mature.
RC: They tackle harder topics, which I feel like is one of the great things about the series. With Hannah, and the SA storyline, that conversation with her mum really stuck out to me. After Hannah apologized for the family being shunned and parents losing their jobs, the mum’s response was so great. She says, “What did you do wrong? All you did was go to a party.”
I grew up in purity culture as someone who was raised religious and also being Chinese, and I’m sure, as a teenager — the messaging was a bit different back then — I feel like I would have blamed myself if I had been some sort of a victim. So, for young people to be able to watch such a poignant conversation that sums up how victims are not to blame, that was really nice to see how they handled it.
BC: And I liked the line where Hannah says she doesn’t want to be defined by what happened to her. And how her mum and Garrett act as a vessel for her to talk it out.
RC: I feel that. And also, Allie and Hannah’s conversation about the topic also hit really hard. I love how there’s a big focus on female friendships. Outside of all the relationship drama, it shows you can really find your people when you’re so young.
BC: In Episode 8, when Hannah finally opens up to Allie, it turns out that Allie already knew and was just waiting for her to speak up when she was ready.
RC: That’s what happens when you know your friends so well. You know what they’re feeling without having to ask.
BC: You know what they’re going through. But she knew it wasn’t her place to dig.
For young people to be able to watch such a poignant conversation that sums up how victims are not to blame, that was really nice to see how they handled it.
Rachel Choy On OFf Campus Season 1
RC: The other dark topic is obviously family violence and family trauma and how that gets passed down, and not wanting to become your parents, which I feel on a deep level, yeah. My dad had a secret family for decades. So I’m like, yeah Garrett, I relate. So real for that, the fear of repeating your dad’s mistake.
BC: Episode 5 and 6 were probably standouts for me. I think Episode 5 with Garrett’s storyline and seeing that layer of him when he was having the conversation in the car with Hannah, there was so much depth to it, and you kind of learn so much more about him because I feel like on surface level, you’re like, oh, he’s like a hockey guy. He doesn’t want to live in his dad’s shadow. But then, you find out a deeper reason why.
RC: Seeing a main male character as well, who is the team captain and very much a bro, actually be vulnerable about feelings. That’s always refreshing to see.
BC: And seeing how the guys were there for him as well. Hannah had Allie, Garrett had Logan. For me, the chemistry really brought it all together. I think you can tell when an actor cares about a project, and then seeing that sort of translated on screen is always really nice.
RC: I feel like it works, and it’s good because they’re going to be together for a long time. I hope.
BC: They said they’re like, we’re not going anywhere. We’re still going to be in the show. I’m like, oh my god, unfortunately, Bridgerton can’t relate.
RC: Oh, speaking of Bridgerton. How horny is this series? There’s been a comparison to Heated Rivalry purely because of the hockey element.
BC: I don’t think it was as spicy as Bridgerton. I feel like Bridgerton has sort of that longing with drawn-out sex scenes, whereas with Hannah and Garrett, we just saw snippets of it.
RC: Like a montage.
BC: I feel like we saw more of the explicit scenes of Allie and Dean versus the main couple. But because I had no expectations, I didn’t go into it being like, I want to see sex.
The chemistry really brought it all together. I think you can tell when an actor cares about a project, and then seeing that sort of translated on screen is always really nice.
Bernice Corral on Off Campus Season 1
RC: I read two of the books after and I was like, oh, I can see why fans might expect the series to be extra spicy. But there is a lot of peen in Episode 8.
BC: Literally. It was like four minutes. I was like woah, starting off with a bang.
RC: But surprisingly, there’s not many boobs. I do find it strange when the bra stays on during sex scenes, but I think it might have been because the actor who plays Hannah was quite young at the time of filming. So maybe that’s why they made up with it with all the penises.
BC: There’s a swearing quota in Marvel films. So maybe they were like, oh, we can’t meet the boob quota in this one.
RC: So we’re just gonna do heaps of penises in one go. Just close ups, lots of close ups of them. We want all the detail.
BC: When we walk into the locker room and see the naked hockey players, I was like, oh okay. And then it cuts right to the close up shot. I was like okay, moving on.
RC: And then it just moves onto another close up shot. Okay, enough about penises. The other thing is, with Dean and Allie, that’s another book that’s been woven into season one. It’s called The Score about their secret situationship. I feel it’s interesting to weave in another book, because it feels like it is a way to hook us across multiple seasons with cliffhangers, but still allowing each season to focus on a new player. I am not sure what they’re doing for Season 2, but they have cast someone to be Grace, who is Logan’s romantic interest. Not sure if Dean and Allie will become the main characters while Logan and Grace will be the next small one, or if Dean and Allie will just continue as the subplot.
BC: I read that their storyline is a slow burn, so that’s why. When I watched it, I automatically thought, yeah, they’re going to be Season 2. But now I know it’s a slow burn, I feel like they’re just sprinkling that in. And then Season Two will be Logan and Grace.
RC: The season finale was wild. There was so much yearning! I do love a bit of yearning. When Hannah picks up Garrett’s Jersey after their breakup, and they’re both listening to the same song, and there’s a split screen? And then, obviously, the big romantic gesture with the pop showcase and Garrett waiting at the car was very John Hughes. It felt like 16 Candles. I was squealing.
BC: I will say that the showcase kind of went on for much longer than I wanted. I was like, okay, she’s picking up another instrument. She’s so talented. Please talk already.
RC: They’re gonna montage the sex scenes, but the pop showcase is gonna be a full episode.
BC: We’re getting the whole song! Like, we’ve set up this whole like song for the past seven episodes.
RC: She’s like, this is my Olivia Rodrigo HSTMTS moment. But then the cliffhanger? I was dead. Obviously, if our readers are trying to avoid spoilers, it’s a bit too late, but this is a big spoiler.
BC: I was like, who is this man?! Who is Hunter Davenport?!
RC: They kept him secret from all the book fans. He’s now the new starting line. He’s slept with Allie, even though Dean just declared his feelings for her. And Hunter is also a lifelong enemy of Dean, and oh god, I love mess. this is great.
BC: It felt like a rush. They were trying to tie up loose ends and wrap it up, but that cliffhanger! They know how to keep fans hooked. Unfortunately, both of us are now victims.
RC: The good thing is that Season 2 is shooting in June, so I’m hoping it will come out next year. Overall, do you reckon people should watch Off Campus Season 1?
BC: Yes, I feel like this show reminded me a lot of a CW show that I would have loved in high school. And I think I saw like a tweet last week that said there’s not a lot of young adult or teen media that fits that category we probably had in the 2010s. So I feel like this is a good series to have that fits that. But also, it’s quite modern. I feel like if you liked The Summer I Turned Pretty but didn’t love the childishness of the first season, give this a go.
RC: I do totally feel what you mean, similar to One Tree Hill or The OC. The only annoying part is that Off Campus only has eight episodes. I miss 22-episode seasons, but that’s okay. We’ll take what we can get. And I’m glad it has been renewed.
BC: It has a very solid fan base as well. This is why fan culture is so important, because it allows for this kind of media to be made.
Off Campus Season 1 is now streaming on Prime Video.
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