Old School. Biblically Independent.
By Mae Abdulbaki | TV | August 24, 2026
There has been an influx of sports romances—Heated Rivalry chief among them—and for that we should all be grateful. This influx, which includes vertical dramas like Love Score, is a bit why I was hesitant to watch Off Campus, the Prime Video adaptation of the series of novels by Elle Kennedy. When there are too many similarities within a genre, there’s always a risk of waning quality, and after watching Heated Rivalry, the gold standard with the success to prove it, it seemed almost impossible that another show could live up to that.
Off Campus thankfully proved otherwise. It’s a show I wish existed when I was growing up. It’s a good mix of wholesome interactions, sensuality, thoroughly interesting and deep friendships/romantic relationships, and healthy views on consent. The series is surprisingly complex and treats its darker and more triggering story elements with the utmost sensitivity and care. Off Campus has a softness that is deeply felt throughout its eight-episode first season, and everything—from the cast to the themes and pacing—gels together.
The series follows Hannah Wells (Ella Bright), a college student who’s about to lose her music scholarship and decides to enter a pop songwriting competition to secure another. She has a major crush on band frontman Justin Kohl (Josh Heuston), but ends up falling in love with hockey team captain Garrett Graham (Belmont Cameli) after they agree to a deal: Hannah will tutor Garrett so he can pass his philosophy class and he will pretend to be her boyfriend to get Justin to notice her.
On the page, the plot sounds very trope-y and, while that’s not a bad thing at all, the story, characters, and the writers’ dedication to deepening their arcs in every episode keep things afloat. One might expect Hannah and Garrett’s relationship to stall until the final episode, where they would typically confess their undying love for each other, but their romance flourishes precisely because it doesn’t dilly-dally. It doesn’t take them long to get together, bringing exquisitely layered challenges to the forefront that wouldn’t have been explored as thoroughly otherwise.
What’s more, Off Campus lets its story breathe, leaving us with moments that are funny, heartwarming, and gut-wrenching in equal measure. It’s a show that understands how romance works, with a slow build brimming with anticipation and a pinnacle that reaches satisfying heights. For the characters, that pinnacle is both sexually and emotionally driven. For me personally, it’s gratifying to actually witness the ups and downs of Hannah and Garrett’s journey, as a couple and as individuals, without wanting to rip my hair out in frustration. So often, love stories are written with a plethora of setbacks that it gets aggravating to watch after a while. What this series gets is that romance, when done right, is meant to engage with its characters beyond the tropes that confine them.
We get to learn more about them—and their circle of friends, including Hannah’s best friend, the scene-stealing Allie (Mika Abdalla), and John Logan (Antonio Cipriano), the hockey team forward whose sometimes contentious relationship with Garrett makes for one of the show’s most intriguing friendships. This expands their world, adding detail that enriches their lives. It makes me want to know more about every character whenever we learn something new.
Sure, Off Campus includes hockey, but it’s mostly a backdrop. It serves its purpose well, though, making the show’s world feel more fully fleshed out and entertaining when the players butt heads for whatever reason. Interestingly, the series is the polar opposite of Tell Me Lies, another addictive series about college students (but in a completely disturbing, messy way). Whereas the latter is all about the toxicity of abusive relationships and the extreme behaviors that come from them, Off Campus approaches trauma with a good dose of nuance and conversations that lead to overall healthy relationships.
Characters aren’t treated like they’re perfect; they all make mistakes and missteps along their journey, but they don’t let that get in their way for too long. And though it’s a romance through and through, it has some of the best onscreen friendships I’ve seen in a while. Even better is that Hannah and Garrett’s best friends aren’t one-dimensional and only there to root their friends on. They have lives of their own, and it’s at the intersection of romance, friendship, and self-discovery where Off Campus truly soars.
All eight episodes of Off Campus are now streaming on Prime Video.
