In case you missed it, Prime Video announced today that season two of the hit show Off Campus will premiere on April 28, 2027, less than a year after the release of season one. As a fan, I thought it would only be fitting to share some of my hot takes on the first season to celebrate the announcement. Even though I’ve loved the show so far, I haven’t read the books yet (unfortunately), so keep in mind that some of my opinions might change when I finally get around to reading them. Fair warning: there will obviously be spoilers for season one!
1. Hannah and Garrett > Allie and Dean
Starting off strong, this might be my hottest take on the list. Most of my friends who have watched the show seem to prefer the storylines surrounding Allie and Dean’s relationship over those about Hannah and Garrett. I don’t, though. I can’t exactly pinpoint what I like more about the main couple, but Allie and Dean’s storyline just doesn’t interest me as much. For this reason, I’m a little worried about season two, since it supposedly focuses less on Hannah and Garrett and more on Allie and Dean (and possibly John Logan and his new love interest?). I’m sure I’ll still enjoy it regardless, but I’m worried it won’t live up to the first season for me.
2. The Jules hate is uncalled for
If you watched The Summer I Turned Pretty, you probably noticed something similar happen with the character Skye. Both Jules and Skye are secondary characters who happen to be nonbinary, and I wholeheartedly believe that a lot of the online hate directed toward these characters has to do with their identities. To me, this is even more apparent when it comes to Jules. Skye’s character can admittedly be a little annoying at times, but overall, they aren’t particularly problematic or evil.
Jules, on the other hand, is a funny, supportive character and sibling to John Logan who doesn’t do a single thing wrong throughout the entire show. One of the main reasons I’ve seen people dislike Jules, aside from some pretty superficial and frankly stupid criticisms, is that they weren’t a character in the book. To me, that’s just a dumb excuse to hate on the show’s only nonbinary character, especially when those same people don’t seem to have much to say about other changes made in the book-to-TV adaptation.
3. I understand both sides of Hannah and Garrett’s big argument (TW: mentions of sexual assault)
If you haven’t watched the show, or just need a refresher, Hannah and Garrett have their biggest argument of the season toward the end of the show. It starts when Garrett has to play against the person who sexually assaulted Hannah before she came to college. After piecing together that her assailant is on the opposing team, Garrett genuinely stops playing and beats the sh*t out of him.
Obviously, this gets Garrett into some pretty serious trouble and leaves Hannah feeling responsible for putting his season at risk. I understand why Hannah is upset, especially because Garrett arguably makes her trauma about himself. However, I also think that if I were in Garrett’s shoes, I wouldn’t be able to just keep playing either. I don’t think either of them is completely wrong in this situation, which is what makes their argument so interesting to me.
4. All the songs Hannah sings are underwhelming
To be honest, I’m not even sure if this is a hot take because I feel like everyone who talks about the show just kind of ignores the music, which is 100% fair in my opinion. I feel like there was so much potential here, especially since Ella Bright, who plays Hannah, has a genuinely pretty voice. But the songs themselves were just so… meh. Nothing really stood out to me, whether it was the lyrics or the melodies. I hope that if music is involved in the next season, the producers put a little more effort into it. I mean, I’ve heard songs from Disney soundtracks that are better in pretty much every way than the music in Off Campus.
5. It’s selfish if Dean won’t let Hunter play when he’s their best chance
I haven’t watched the show in a few months (meaning I’m definitely due for a rewatch), so I don’t remember every detail about why Dean dislikes Hunter. Does he know that Hunter and Allie hooked up? Regardless, Dean refusing to let Hunter play when he’s established as a really good player seems selfish to me. At the end of the day, he needs to put his personal feelings aside and do what’s best for the team, especially after Garrett gets into trouble.
Even though I’ve complained about a few things throughout these hot takes, I genuinely think Off Campus is a great show. Not only is it entertaining, but it also touches on some important topics and promotes things like consent, acceptance, and healthy relationships. If you’ve somehow made it through this entire article without watching the show, I definitely recommend giving it a chance. And if you have already watched it, maybe take the next few months to refresh your memory with a rewatch before the new season premieres. I know I will!