WARNING: This article contains spoilers for The Deal, the first book in the Off-Campus Series.
I want to start by saying that I genuinely love the entire “Off-Campus” Series. Each book has its own charm, emotional depth, and characters that feel like my personal friends in some way. That said, since the TV adaptation is beginning with season one, and season one is adapting “The Deal”, this is the story I’m going to be focusing on in my article. Not because the other books don’t matter (they absolutely do, I mean the third book is definitely my favorite), but because “The Deal” is the starting point of this amazing friendship dynamic. As someone who first read “The Deal” when I was 13 (which, now that I type this, maybe not my smartest choice but my mom was the one that bought it so not really my fault), this story has stuck with me for years. It was one of those books that made you feel like you were in the story experiencing everything alongside the main characters. Because I have been rereading these books for 6 years, I’m taking this adaptation very seriously. Season one has one job: set the tone right for this dynamic. If the dynamic isn’t perfect in season one, I fear I will be more mad then when they casted Dylan Sprouse as Travis Maddox in the “Beautiful Disaster” film adaptation (he is anything but him FYI). One of the things I better see done right is Hannah’s love for One Direction because this makes Hannah feel real and lets be honest, the main reason I want it is to see Garrett become secretly obsessed with them too.
Another moment that absolutely matters is Hannah kissing Dean Di Laurentis. This scene should not be romanticized because it’s awkward and uncomfortable. It shows how unsure Hannah is of herself at that point in the story and highlights how different her dynamic with Garrett truly is. I also love the part where Garrett realizes he might actually love Hannah because he got jealous which has never happened with his hookups, and this is just the start of Garrett’s
jealousy; he was one of the most jealous guys in the series but can you blame him? One of his friends kissed her and another one had a crush on her lol. Speaking of, I’d love for the show to subtly explore John Logan’s crush. It doesn’t need to be dramatic or overdone, but those quiet moments and underlying tension matter. I don’t want them to make it into something it never was, but I also don’t want them to completely remove it just to make it less complicated. They add depth to the group dynamic and make the friendships feel more real and help set the tone for Logan’s relationship.
One part of The Deal that I really hope makes it into season one is the moment when the entire hockey team helps take care of Hannah when she’s hungover. It’s funny, chaotic, and it shows the heart of the dynamic we see throughout the series. That scene captures the found family dynamic that makes the series so special, the way these characters show up for one another in small ways really captures your heart. It also helps establish that Hannah isn’t just Garrett’s love interest, she becomes part of the friend group. Along with that, when it comes to Garrett Graham, I want to see a few things. One thing I want to see is his development from flawed, immature, and self-centered to a more matured and caring boyfriend. The show should emphasize that his respect for Hannah grows over time, and that their relationship is built on communication and trust, not just attraction. I hate when shows make a 400 page book into an “instalove” because that wasn’t the case in the book, and I want to see their full story. They also need to include the moments where Garrett opens up to Hannah about his relationship with his father, and when Hannah opens up in return. Those conversations are the emotional backbone of the story as they mark the shift from a fake arrangement to something real and meaningful. Watching Garrett lower his guard and admit his insecurities shows how much he trusts Hannah, while Hannah’s
willingness to be vulnerable proves that their connection goes beyond attraction. These scenes matter because they show that their relationship is built on honesty and mutual understanding.
Visually, I want season one to feel like real college life that we all experience. I’m taking messy dorm rooms, late night study sessions, as well as the moments we all wish were true but only happen in the books. While I’m excited to eventually see the rest of the series adapted, my expectations for season one are very specific.While “The Deal” isn’t exactly my favorite from the series, I feel especially attached to the book as it was one of the first romance books I read that started my addiction.