As a self-professed Romance girlie, I’ve frequently written about the difference between a romantic film/show and a romance novel. That difference isn’t semantics. It comes down to the storytelling, the characterizations, and the thing that Romance readers love most: the tropes. “Bridgerton” was the first to recognize this fact. We haven’t seen that dedication to Romance novel-styled storytelling repeated. Until now.
Enter Prime Video’s “Off Campus”, based on the novels by Elle Kennedy. Here, we join the fictional Boston-set university, Briar U, for an intimate look at the love lives and friendships of its hockey team.
Networks and studios are excited about the viewership prospects of hockey/sports romance after the success of “Heated Rivalry.” Why not? Part of launching a hit series is knowing when to catch a wave. However, while both shows are swoony hockey love stories, the two differ in style. The former is a romantic drama, darker in tone and driven by hidden passions. “Off Campus” is playful, at times exuberant, with the trope-y rom-com readers and audiences also crave. The genre is contemporary and new adult—the college-aged or new to the workforce—and although you’ll get some of the same hijinks as in YA, it skews older and does it well.
Photo: Liane Hentscher/ Prime
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The first couple in the lineup ignites when quiet songwriter Hannah (Ella Bright) and all-star hockey player Garrett (Belmont Cameli) meet in the locker room showers at Briar University. She sees everything he has to offer—at least on the outside—but it isn’t until they make a mutually beneficial deal that they truly see each other. He pretends to be her boyfriend to make another guy jealous, while she tutors him in philosophy. Classic. It’s a set-up we’ve seen before.
What sets this first season of “Off Campus” apart is how tangible Bright and Cameli make Hannah and Garrett feel. Every shade of emotion is explored; they are vulnerable, quippy, hopeful, and honest in a way that makes you forget their characters are on screen.
The rest of the cast delivers, too. “Off Campus” is boosted by lively, engaging dialogue between characters who are growing toward better versions of themselves. It’s easy to imagine future seasons with John Logan (Antonio Cipriano), Allie (Mika Abdalla), or Dean (Stephen Kalyn), but this is the season of ‘Gannah,’ and the pair is charming in the extreme. If this were a chemistry class, they’d ace it with extra credit. They’re playful, considerate, and have beloved nicknames—he calls her Wellsy because her last name is Wells. So cute.
Beyond their winning portrayals, the heroine and hero are dealing with childhood traumas. As a result, their character arcs are partially defined by their efforts to define themselves without the context of their parents or the people who hurt them badly in the past.
Another factor that makes “Off Campus” work is that Louisa Levy, the series creator, and co-showrunner Gina Fattore understand that romance on TV is common, but true Romance novel formats are hard to find. The story beats and progression of falling in love are different between the two. The series envisions the episodes like chapters, closing out on cliffhangers or with hooks that pull you into the next episode.
Photo: Liane Hentscher/ Prime
© AMAZON CONTENT SERVICES LLC
The classic tropes: jock boy paired with nerdy girl, jock needs a tutor, one bed, opposites attract, and the Queen Mother of tropes: fake dating, all sparkle throughout the season. And it’s spicy too. Spice refers to how explicit the sex is, and this show is saucy. There’s lots of sex, but it never objectifies. There’s also nudity, and some of it is full frontal. Just thought I should let you know if you’re a pearl clutcher.
Music as a healing force is part of the connection between Hannah and Garrett, especially classic rock. Early on, I thought of the Fox series “Glee” and was rewarded with a reference. “Off Campus” doesn’t just have a soundtrack; many of the plot beats hinge on music—from classical to rock to pop—and all the sub-genres in between. To accentuate the storytelling, Prime Video bought out the record store with big needle drops and musical guest appearances, including one that fans will be howling for.
“Off Campus” is a swoon-worthy, hot, and heated rom-com-drama that gives its story space to fully bloom just like its characters. It’s a highly enjoyable romance from front to back that’ll leave you wishing, hoping, and anticipating which couple you’ll spend the sophomore season with. Until then, this series will get plenty of replays.
