Off Campus is a hot topic on all social media platforms, and it is well deserved. Not only are we obsessing over the books again, but also the magic that is book-to-screen adaptation. Prime Video knocked it out of the park this time. But really, were we doubting them? Maybe a little with how popular the books are. They did really great and produced a fabulous first season.
If Louisa Levy’s (Off Campus TV series creator and showrunner) interview clips with Off the Shelf are any indication, she loves the Off Campus books just as much as the fans. She proved that with how she developed the Briar U world. Little by little, fans discovered more Easter egg details throughout the eight episodes.
Although there were many, many details we loved, there are three key details that we can’t stop obsessing over.
Duo Costumes
The Di Laurentis-Maxwell birthday party in episode 2 brought us some memorable duos. As I’ve watched more and more TikToks, I started picking up on the little details. Some were painfully obvious, while others didn’t jump out at me until I listened to all the theories. So shoutout to the Off Campus fandom; y’all are making me dig deep.
The most soul-crushing costume duo was brought to us by the birthday boys. Dean and Beau dressed up as Top Gun best friends Maverick and Goose. My Tom Cruise lovers out there will remember the pivotal moment in the Top Gun series that changed Maverick forever. He lost his best friend in a freak accident and, years later, ended up working alongside Goose’s son. Not only is Goose’s character foreshadowing Beau’s fate in Off-Campus, but also the lengths his best friend will go to be there to honor their late friend. From the book series, we know that Dean and Allie name one of their children after Beau. Both Maverick and Dean demonstrate tremendous strength in how they honor their late best friend.
Those weren’t the only notable duos at the party. After some more inspection and videos, I saw the clues, and I can’t unsee them.
The TikTok creator Nicolette Hill says it best as she explains her theories about the duos: “At face value, they look like a vampire (violent and out for blood like a hockey player) and a punk bunny (a hockey groupie).” I love her explanation of what people thought their duo was, without explanation or Hannah next to him. Once she arrives, the meaning of his outfit changes, much like his emotional side coming out when he’s with Hannah. She goes on to say, “A magician is putting on a show and lying to the audience to make you believe something else.”
I agree it works really well with their characters, fake dating trope, and the struggles they hide behind.
I’m not sure where I saw it, but these last two comparisons stuck with me. To whoever came up with these, y’all are genius humans! Allie and Sean were dressed as J.Lo and Ben Affleck, a sneaky and clever way to foreshadow their breaking up and getting back together multiple times before calling it quits for good. Lastly, we can’t forget Logan and Tucker dressing up as a bumblebee and a hawk, referring to the “birds and the bees.” Essentially, they foreshadowed Tucker’s future storyline about becoming a young dad.
Thanksgiving chaos
I love everything about the holiday episode, “The Cold Turkey.” If I wasn’t laughing, I was holding back tears. The storylines were just that good. They really peeled back layers to show us deeper sides to the characters and how they came to be who they are.
Experiencing Garrett’s past through his father’s house was intense. Each room, wall, and photo held a memory that he couldn’t get back. But what I loved the most was Hannah taking a photo of him and his mom and giving it to him at Malanoe’s. This tiny detail led to a conversation about his mom and his happy memories. Even though he finally admitted his trauma to Hannah, it was important for her to know his happy times, too. It’s a beautiful moment.
Tucker, Logan, and Jules trying to host Thanksgiving without destroying the hockey house was peak entertainment. Even though it was at the expense of Tucker’s sanity, the turkey burning led to the best game of hockey ever. Even Hannah’s friends put on some skates and got on the ice. Along with that, we saw Tucker’s relationship with his mom compared to the Logan siblings’ complex relationship with their mom. It was an interesting way to show the different home lives without them having to go home.
Lastly, we can’t forget about the moment we learn that Allie is secretly hooking up with Dean. Book fans knew one day Allie would be into Dean, but we didn’t know it would be folded into season 1.
Let me just say, it was golden. Every moment was carefully placed and well done. I especially love that the following episode showed us what led up to them spending Thanksgiving together. We really see how close they come and how acquainted they are with Winston (if you know, you know!).
The Showcase
Hannah’s pop showcase song was the best way to embody not only her character journey but also her relationship with Garrett. She truly isn’t the girl she used to be at the beginning of the season. Nor is she scared to be herself with Garrett, like she seemed at the start. Essentially, her song is an embodiment of the personal growth she accomplished and fought for all semester long. It is a really beautiful way to see how songwriting and music heal her.
She’s not broken, she’s just a little damaged. Being damaged isn’t something to be ashamed of. So instead, she owns it and shares that with a room full of people. When Garrett tells her he wants to be more like her, it perfectly wraps up who they’ve become and who they can be.
Watch Off Campus only on Prime Video.
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