I am NOT a TV watcher. Let alone a repeat watcher. I never finished Friends or The Office. I barely finished Gilmore Girls. But I decided to give Prime Video’s adaptation of Elle Kennedy’s best-selling book series, Off Campus, a chance because I was seeing ads and videos and pictures of it everywhere. And when I tell you I’ve watched it three times, I mean it. It’s my new favorite procrastination, finals-avoiding obsession.
Honestly, I was very skeptical. Not only are college romance shows notoriously difficult to get right, but they’re also usually cheesy. Too often they’re overly dramatic, painfully unrealistic or so focused on romance that every character feels one-dimensional. Somehow, Off Campus manages to avoid all of this (mostly).
What surprised me most wasn’t the romance. Going into the show, I expected to be invested in Hannah and Garrett’s relationship. What I didn’t expect was how attached I would become to the entire world of Briar University. The friendships feel genuine, the team dynamic feels believable, and the side characters have enough personality that they don’t simply exist to support the main storyline.
That said, let’s talk about Hannah and Garrett.
What really sold me on the show was the way their relationship develops. Without giving away too many spoilers, Hannah enters college carrying the weight of a traumatic experience from her past that continues to affect her confidence and relationships. What I appreciated was that the show doesn’t use her story simply as a source of drama. Hannah is allowed to be so much more than what happened to her. She’s ambitious, talented, funny, independent and incredibly resilient.
And Garrett never tries to “fix” her.
In so many romance stories, a female character’s trauma becomes an opportunity for the male lead to swoop in and save the day. Garrett doesn’t do that. He listens. He respects her boundaries. He supports her when she needs support and gives her space when she needs space. Most importantly, he treats her like an equal.
I think that’s part of why their relationship feels so refreshing. Garrett doesn’t see Hannah’s goals and ambitions as secondary to his own. He actively encourages her music career, celebrates her accomplishments, and genuinely wants to see her succeed. Their relationship is built on mutual respect, which somehow feels rare in a genre that often relies on jealousy, possessiveness and endless miscommunication.
The kindness doesn’t stop with Garrett, either. One of my favorite things about Off Campus is how the male characters treat women in general. Are the Briar hockey boys ridiculous sometimes? Absolutely. Are they occasionally immature? Without a doubt. But underneath all the trash talk and chaos, they consistently show respect for the women around them. The relationships feel rooted in friendship, trust and genuine admiration rather than conquest.
And honestly, that’s what made me fall in love with the characters.
The friendships between the guys are just as entertaining as the romances. Beneath all the chirping and constant insults is a group of friends that genuinely care about each other. They celebrate each other’s successes, call each other out when necessary, and show up when it matters. The hockey house feels less like a collection of stereotypes and more like an actual friend group you’d want to be a part of.
Which brings me to Dean Di Laurentis.
I started the season fully expecting to be a Garrett girl. I mean, how could I not? He’s charming, funny, supportive and basically the perfect book boyfriend. But somehow Dean completely stole the show for me.
Every time he appeared on screen, I knew I was about to be entertained. He’s chaotic in the best possible way, endlessly confident, and somehow manages to be both the biggest menace and one of the most lovable characters in the entire series. Half of my favorite moments involve Dean doing absolutely nothing important to the plot except being Dean. If Prime Video’s goal was to make me impatient for future seasons, it worked.
What makes Off Campus different from so many other college romances is that beneath the hockey games, parties and attractive cast, there’s a surprising amount of heart. The show understands that college isn’t just about finding a relationship. It’s about figuring out who you are, building friendships that feel like family, chasing goals that scare you, and learning how to navigate adulthood one mistake at a time.
Is the show perfect? No. There are definitely moments where the dialogue makes me cringe a little, and some storylines move faster than they probably would in real life. But honestly, that’s part of the charm. Off Campus knows exactly what it is. It isn’t trying to be groundbreaking television. It’s trying to be fun, comforting, romantic and entertaining.
And somehow, it became the first show I’ve willingly watched three times.
So yes, the hype got me. But for once, I think the hype is completely deserved.