Off Campus's hottest commodity isn't its men - but how they treat women

It's a tale as old as time on-screen: the popular, outwardly-confident captain of the college sports team gets any girl of his choosing, embodying a fantasy audiences are encouraged to admire despite how rarely it resembles reality.

However, more notably, that guy will also probably turn out to be a bit of a jerk, with little-to-no emotional intelligence and a backstory centred entirely around his six pack.

Standing quietly opposite him is the other guy: quirky, well-read, gentle, and, hell, endearing. For those reasons alone, he always seems to be the one that wins the girl in the end.

Except, it's a stereotype now finally being kicked to the curb in Prime Video's acclaimed hockey romance series, Off Campus - which is bidding adieu to the red flag stereotypes of its jock characters, instead making them equal parts swoon-worthy, and genuine boyfriend material.

That seemingly backwards approach to storytelling has proven remarkably effective, cementing the show as one of the platform's biggest launch successes ever.

For the few not yet in the know, the show follows the quiet, high-achieving Hannah Wells (Ella Bright), and her relationship with Garrett Graham (Belmont Cameli), nepo-star of the Briar U hockey team - and initially, notorious part-time womaniser.

The pair strike a deal when Garrett needs Hannah's tutoring expertise to pass his classes, and in return, he volunteers to become her 'fake boyfriend' to garner the attention of her long-standing crush, Justin.

But, predictably, the pair's relationship accidentally blossoms in the most unexpected - and smutty - of ways.

It possesses the same hide-behind-a-pillow passion as sister show, Heated Rivalry, the smouldering smiles of your favourite rom-com, and unexpectedly, a whole lot of willingness to learn emotional availability.

At the forefront of the plot is Garrett, and, initially, he's everything we've been conditioned to hate in a romance: conceited, overly-charming, failing academically, and surrounded by manosphere-approved culture in the form of his closest friends, Dean (Stephen Kalyn), Logan (Antonio Cipriano) and Tucker (Jalen Thomas Brooks).

On the surface, it seems far-from-ideal that he'd end up with someone as soft and patient as Hannah.

Prime Video

But, as the plot unfolds and Hannah grows closer to Justin (per their plan), Garrett's softness soon emerges, and it quickly becomes apparent that there's more to this group than meets the eye. Despite being imperfect, the four of them drop their guard and master the art of healthy human connection.

"They are still bros in some stereotypical ways that I think a lot of men can see themselves in, but in all the ways that matter they demonstrate a genuine and realistic way that a lot of men who want to date women can move through the world", one fan articulated.

Another shared a similar sentiment, writing, "Instead of another rant on toxic masculinity, we finally have a portrayal of healthy masculinity. You have no idea how refreshing it is to see strong male characters that are portrayed positively", while a third chimed in: "The great thing about these guys is that they actually resemble the guys I know in my friend group."

This slew of discourse on social media in recent days perfectly articulates an often far-fetched reality of what women are seeking out in modern relationships: decency.

For so long, women have been taught that to have one type of guy, you have to sacrifice the other. But, Off Campus was written by a woman, for women.

"What Off Campus does is bait you in with the familiar masculine trope and then slowly reveal the man underneath it, the one carrying his father's wounds, the one who wants to be seen beyond the jersey", notes Lorin Krenn, internationally recognised relationship coach. "That is the man women are actually relieved to meet."

Instead, we see the narrative flipped on its head with Allie's relationship with Sean: the humble, safety net boyfriend, who, ultimately, only has his own interests at heart, forcing her to outgrow what he can bring to the table.

Despite his credentials in stability, it ultimately leads her down a road that ends with Dean.

Prime Video

"The friendships between Garrett, Logan, Dean, and Tucker are genuinely one of the greenest flags in the whole show", Lorin affirms.

"These are hockey players and fraternity men who have challenging conversations with each other, who express themselves, who hold emotional weight in their friendships -That is rare to see depicted honestly on screen.

"Men who can do that with their friends are almost always capable of bringing that same quality into their romantic relationships."

"The Garretts and Deans of this world are emotionally present, they hold space, they show up", echoes life coach, Phi Dang.

"For so many women, part of their journey is daring to believe that that kind of man exists. Off Campus makes that feel not just possible, but worth waiting for.

"What I love about the men in Off Campus is that they actually like women - and in the current climate of the manosphere, this is really important", she continues.

"These are men who care about mutual pleasure, who respect boundaries, who don't shrink from a woman's ambition; such as Dean celebrating Allie's goals rather than feeling threatened by them.

"It's the kind of thing my clients tell me they've stopped believing is real. What's really landed amongst audiences is how the men allow women to be fully themselves: not smaller, not quieter, not easier to love."

Prime Video

Lorin argues that in real life, the same kind of emotional honesty is perceived as dangerous by men. "Vulnerability is, by definition, exposure without a guarantee", he notes.

"Men are conditioned to only move when they're certain, when they have the win locked in, when they won't look weak. So when a relationship asks them to say 'I don't know how this ends, but here's what I feel,' it can feel genuinely threatening."

Off Campus's real beauty lies in not asking viewers to fall for the stereotypical brooding heart throb, nor does it present emotional intelligence as something exclusively reserved for the nonchalant outsider.

Instead, it's reminding women that sometimes, if you break through the trenches of modern-day dating, maybe you really can have it all.

Why not read...

• Off Campus is responsible for the most-talked-about hair trend of the summer
• Off Campus season 2: Everything we know so far as lead couple confirmed

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