Off Campus: 10 Main Differences Between the Show and the Books
Off Campus may be a hit Prime Video show now, but it actually started life as a series of romantic novels. So, just how closely has the TV show followed the source material?
BookTok has a lot to answer for. For the past few years, audiences have been ravenous for romance novels. Adaptations of these beach reads have become something of a tradition, from Colleen Hoover movies, to The Summer I Turned Pretty, and, most recently, Off Campus.
If you think about it, Off Campus is the latest installment of the BookTok ice hockey romance cinematic universe (the BTIHRCU is totally going to catch on), with Heated Rivalry taking the world by storm back in December. But, naturally, like all adaptations, there has been a little bit of artistic license involved, which has led to some pretty significant differences between the Amazon hit and its source material.
If you haven’t finished watching Off Campus, you might want to skate on, as there are spoilers ahead. But, if you’re all up to date and want to “um, actually” all your friends, keep reading to learn more about how the book and TV show differ.
1. The Financial Abuse And Blackmail Plot
In the book, there’s a whole financial abuse plotline between Garrett and his dad. He funds the ice hockey captain’s place at Briar University, which adds another layer of control and complexity to their relationship. Phil, Garrett’s father, blackmails Hannah into breaking up with his son in the book, threatening to withdraw his financial support if she doesn’t.
Meanwhile, in the show, Garrett breaks up with Hannah after beating up Hannah’s rapist during an ice hockey game, leaving him scared of being like his father. Either way, the lovebirds simply cannot stay away from one another, meaning that they eventually get back together.
2. The Campus-Wide "Hands-Off" Rule
Both the book and TV show mention the "hands-off" rule. In short, this involves a campus-wide ban on Hannah speaking to men in order to prevent her from dating other people. In the TV series, this ‘ban’ leads to random men shunning Hannah and refusing to interact with her.
It is rumoured that Garrett is the one who implemented this rule, but when she goes to confront him, it transpires that it was actually one of his teammates who started this rumour. However, in the book, Garrett actually does implement the hands-off rule.
3. The Inclusion Of Fifth Line And Jules
Fifth Line, a gossip account that follows the exploits of Briar University jocks, is another new element made for the show. It plays a huge role in making Hannah and Garrett’s fake relationship look real. Whether during an ice hockey game or when the gang are at a party, Fifth Line is always there, looking. It’s like a less-toxic Gossip Girl.
The person who runs the account is also a new addition: John Logan’s sibling, Jules. In the novels, Logan has a brother, but it looks like this has changed to just him and Jules. Additionally, in the show, it is their mother who is in rehab rather than their father.
4. The Way Hannah And Garrett Meet
In the books, Hannah and Garrett meet for the first time in the philosophy class they’re both a part of. Hannah drops her books, which expose the fact that she got a high grade — this subsequently captures Garrett’s attention because he is failing the class.
Meanwhile, in what was no doubt an attempt to pull the viewer in right away, Hannah ends up coming across a naked Garrett in the shower. She looks for just a second too long as Garrett smirks. Later he encounters her during philosophy class and sees her high grade — and then, the rest is history, as the tutoring/fake boyfriend storyline truly kicks off.
5. Allie And Dean’s Relationship
In and of itself, Allie and Dean’s relationship is a pretty big part of the Off Campus universe. Their story is told in ‘The Score,’ the third book in the series. Although ‘The Deal’, the first Off Campus book, is the primary focus of Season 1, parts of ‘The Score’ are also integrated into the show.
However, Dean and Allie’s relationship isn’t actually mentioned in either the first or the second book, adding a further layer of differentiation. Amazon has taken things one step further by making ‘The Score’ the main focus on Season 2 instead of book two, ‘The Mistake.’ So, we might have never gotten that Jennifer Lopez scene.
6. The Kiss
While they are in the thick of their fake relationship, Hannah and Garrett end up kissing. He in turn accuses her of blushing, but Hannah doesn’t take this very well. So, when Garrett’s best friend, Logan, interrupts the moment, she decides to prove a point to the ice hockey team captain and plants a smooch on his bestie, too.
For Hannah and Garrett, it was a throwaway moment. However, for Logan, it clearly meant something a little more, as it was later established that he actually had a crush on Hannah. The trouble is, she was officially with Garrett at that point. Meanwhile, in the book, Hannah kissed Dean Di Laurentis to prove her point — who, as we know, will end up dating Hannah’s best friend. Awkward.
7. Drunk Shakespeare Doesn’t Happen
Arguably, one of the biggest highlights of the TV series is Drunk Shakespeare. And yes, it is exactly what it sounds like. In the Amazon show, Allie puts on a production of A Midsummer Night's Dream, but there’s a twist — both the cast and the audience get drunk.
Conveniently, Hannah, Garrett, and Justin all end up acting in this play, which leads to some unmissable moments. Given it is such a big part of the TV show, you might be surprised to know that, actually, Drunk Shakespeare doesn’t exist in the book at all. It’s one of the biggest deviations.
8. The Halloween Backstory Is Removed
Another pretty significant deviation from the books is the role Halloween plays. In the novel, Garrett hates Halloween because he associates it with his abusive father and difficult past. Hannah ends up missing a Halloween party and choosing to spend the evening with Garrett instead. In the books, that’s the part where Hannah opens up to Garrett about her assault.
Meanwhile, in the show, there’s no mention of Halloween, though the pair do attend a dressing up party. Hannah instead tells Garrett about her rape the morning after a drunken night of karaoke, where she asks him to give her an orgasm.
9. Garret’s Confrontation With Hannah’s Attacker
Both the book and the novel involve Garrett brutally beating up the man who raped Hannah, but the environment in which this happens differs in the book and the TV show. In the book, he ends up face-to-face with him after attending a hockey game.
However, in the TV show, things are more intense, as Garrett actually ends up playing against the rapist in one of his ice hockey matches. He ends up goading Garrett by calling Hannah names, which leads to Garrett’s explosive and violent attack right there on the ice.
10. Justin Kohl’s Character
In the novel, Justin is just another jock, but in the show, he is presented as a musician who is part of a band. This change is useful because it means that he and Hannah have more common ground, and he ends up helping her with her showcase. It also differentiates him from Garrett a little more.
Moreover, he seems to replace two of the characters who helped with Hannah’s showcase in the original novel: Cass, the vocalist, and Mary Jane, the songwriter. Obviously, Hannah’s songwriting is a huge part of the show, so the omission of this pair makes a lot of sense in that context.
