UBC is undeniably one of the most scenic campuses in Canada. As the summer months approach, this picturesque setting is often borrowed by the motion picture industry, being transformed into fictional campuses for films like Fifty Shades of Grey and She’s the Man.
I, alongside most of the population, turn to film and TV for one very specific purpose: to escape. I’ve always loved film’s ability to send you into a new universe far away from the mundanity of daily life.
No genre executes this with such overwhelming success as romance. With sugary-sweet storylines and upbeat pop bangers, there’s simply no way to prevent oneself from giving in to the joy of a classic love story. But as I pressed play on the newest steamy hockey romance to grace the small screen, I found myself entering a state opposite of escapism. As the Irving K. Barber Learning Centre (IKB) came into focus, I was placed firmly back in reality, transported to the night I was kicked out of the library and had to finish my paper on the outside steps.
Off Campus, which premièred this May, is Prime Video’s latest hockey romance series. Season one of the show reached 36 million viewers globally in its first 12 days, beating Prime’s mega-success, The Summer I Turned Pretty.
Based on Elle Kennedy’s best-selling book series of the same name, Off Campus follows music major Hannah Wells (Ella Bright) as she stumbles into a romance with star hockey player Garrett Graham (Belmont Cameli). What begins as a simple deal to secure Garrett an A in his philosophy class, and Hannah her dream boy Justin (Josh Heuston), results in a dreamy romance that is sure to make even the coldest of hearts blush.
The premise is simple, the vibe is fun and the actors are swoon-worthy. Studio executives knew Off Campus would be a huge hit — so sure that Amazon didn’t even wait until its premiere to greenlight season two, having already renewed the series back in February.
However, I should give a fair warning to all current and former UBC students out there. The show heavily features our campus, and I could barely resist mentioning all the locations I knew firsthand when I watched the beginning of the series with my younger sister. I must admit, seeing a picturesque romance play out in the exact spot you experienced your first-ever heartbreak isn’t the easiest watch, but if you enjoy seeing your life (if everyone was a lot hotter and school didn’t take up 90 per cent of your time) reflected on screen, this is the show for you. Be sure to mark your Off Campus location bingo card with such hits as the Chan Centre, the Doug Mitchell Thunderbird Sports Centre, IKB, and everyone’s favourite, Main Mall.
Fans of the show are already invested in the next couple of the series – Hannah’s best friend and theatre major Allie Hayes (Mika Abdalla) and heartthrob defenceman Dean Di Laurentis (Stephen Kalyn). Sparks first fly between Allie and Dean after an encounter at a Halloween party, but with Allie still committed to her long-term boyfriend, Dean is pushed to the side and back to a gaggle of eager “puck bunnies.” Things heat up later in the series, however, as events are unveiled and boyfriends are dumped.
With two picturesque couples firmly cemented, Off Campus has established itself as the summer binge for romance lovers. The show is an easy watch, all things considered. Longtime romance viewers know exactly how this fake boyfriend trope ends, and the show knows they know. By featuring classic genre staples, such as the beloved one-bed trope, series creator Louisa Levy draws the audience into a safe trance of predictability. Even the characters in the show seem tuned in to the fact that Hannah and Garrett’s love is an unstoppable force, with Allie admitting they’re “stupid right for each other” in the last episode. This is a perfect version of reality, where frat parties don’t need industrial-level fans to prevent people from overheating, and the men can, for the most part, successfully communicate their feelings.
This is where the show, for all its tropes, surprised me. It doesn’t shy away from some difficult conversations. Topics like sexual violence, abuse and strained familial relationships were discussed, though mostly via allusions rather than direct depiction. I found this approach successful, as it gave the topics the attention they deserved while still allowing the characters to fully bounce back into carefree party mode a few scenes later. The choice to address certain challenging aspects of hockey culture, such as the promotion of aggression and violence on the ice, was also handled with care.
Seeing men take active accountability for their actions, prioritize healthy communication and acknowledge consent as an absolute non-negotiable felt poignant and intentional. This emphasis on vulnerability, especially in the male characters, was an aspect of the show that many women could appreciate; it shifted the story from a fun, lighthearted college flick to a show I feel confident recommending.
As much as I do love a corny romance, I was less familiar with the genre than I care to admit. So, to obtain only the most thorough stamp of approval, I went to my 17-year-old sister. While discussing some of the scenes together, my sister mentioned how many of the girls around her expressed a desire to embrace the positive qualities of the characters — Allie’s ambition, Hannah’s bravery, Garrett’s vulnerability. While I still, perhaps cynically, know it shouldn’t require 14 turns to get from the fountain to the Chan Centre, I can’t help but smile knowing this cast of compassionate and joyful characters got to share the same setting as me and my own cast of kooky co-stars.
