‘Off Campus’ series review: a chaotic, charming and addictive hockey romance & more related news here

‘Tis the season for hockey romances. Or has it always been?

The genre has long had a devoted readership even before Heated rivalryIt started appearing in every bookstore window, because obviously hockey players are attractive, emotionally unavailable, deeply competitive, and therefore perfect romantic material.

Prime Video Off campusbased on The deal by Elle Kennedy (which predates all the game changers books), is, simply put, a fun Sunday watch and a welcome distraction from both the news cycle and life itself. The first season follows star hockey player Garrett Graham (Belmont Cameli) and music composition specialist Hannah Wells (Ella Bright).

Garrett’s GPA is plummeting, threatening both his spot on the team and his future hockey career. Meanwhile, Hannah wants help catching the attention of the musician and rock star she likes, Justin (Josh Heuston). A mutually beneficial agreement is reached: she tutors him, he helps her make her unbearably attractive to another man, and naturally, the fake dating trope begins to unfold exactly as expected.

Off campus understands precisely what it wants to be. It does not intend to prestige television, nor does it attempt to reinvent the romantic genre. Instead, it relies entirely on longing glances, locker room banter, emotionally unavailable frat boys, and the kind of chemistry that thrives on prolonged denial and plenty of saucy montages.

However, one of the biggest surprises of the series is its music. Hannah, being a composition student, doesn’t feel like a throwaway character detail inserted to make her seem interesting. The show actively builds its emotional rhythm around sound. The soundtrack moves fluidly from The Beaches to The Black Keys, from AC/DC to Billy Idol, creating a soundscape that feels nostalgic and carefully curated.

In one scene, Hannah, trying to get out of a creative and emotional slump, enters the theater’s green room and begins playing Elton John’s ‘The Bitch Is Back’ on the piano. What begins as a silent attempt at distraction slowly turns into singing, dancing, and a complete release of frustration. On the ice, Garrett is having a horrible game and during halftime, he sees Hannah through the theater door and her energy, ridiculousness and complete abandon get him out of his head and back into the game.

More than once, the soundtrack is distracting in the best way possible, making you reach for your phone to see if anyone has already created a playlist of the series on Spotify. They have. You are welcome.

Beneath all the flirting, banter, and hockey player mayhem, the series also makes room for heavier themes.

Garrett grows up in the shadow of an abusive father, a former hockey star, and that upbringing shapes his fears of becoming violent, aggressive and emotionally closed off. After an unpleasant incident on the ice, he begins to question not only the type of player he wants to be, but also the type of man.

Meanwhile, Hannah is dealing with the aftermath of a sexual assault, something she keeps hidden for fear that people will start to see her differently. That trauma affects your makeup and your relationship with sex and vulnerability.

The handling isn’t always perfect and some emotional beats feel rushed, but there’s enough sincerity here to give the series emotional weight beneath all its easy charm. There are also times when the series teaches consent better than any sex education class. Clear communication, respect for boundaries and trust are shown to be not only important but also attractive.

The cast does much of the heavy lifting when it comes to capturing the magnetic, chaotic energy of the series. Dean Di Laurentis (Stephen Kalyn) and Allie Hayes (Mika Abdalla) have undeniable chemistry even in the limited moments they share together this season, making it very easy to see why audiences are already eager for them to take center stage in future seasons.

John Logan, played by Antonio Cipriano, Garrett’s best friend and right-hand man on the team, emerges as one of the show’s most lovable characters. Feisty, hardworking, and emotionally transparent in ways Garrett often isn’t, Logan brings warmth to the series without feeling reduced to just being the protagonist’s best friend.

The reason this show works so well is not only because the characters are socially conscious (despite being college frat boys and girls), but because they remind us of some iconic and classic characters from the early ’90s and ’00s. Belmont Cameli’s Garrett Grahm feels almost identical to Heath Ledger’s Patrick Verona from 10 things I hate about younot only in the curls and the elegant smile, but also in the gestures. Jess Mariano Milo Ventimiglia Gilmore Girls He walked so John Logan could run. A troubled, long-eyed, smart, witty lover boy is heavily coded by Jess, and it’s not just me connecting dots where they don’t exist. Showrunner Louisa Levy, in an interview, said that the show has several nods to early 2000s romantic comedies such as sixteen candles and 10 things I hate about you.

The show stands on its own, making it easy to get swept up in the romance, chemistry, and emotional chaos without any prior attachment to the books. However, now I’m debating whether to read the next book before the new season arrives or simply surrender to the algorithm that floods my feed with edits, interviews, fan theories, and memes while the soundtrack plays in the background. Life, for now, can wait.

Off Campus is now streaming on Prime Video

Published – May 19, 2026 03:39 pm IST