Content Warning: This article and the series mentioned include conversations about sexual assault, domestic violence, and child abuse. While reading or watching, please make sure to care for yourself and show yourself compassion.
Disclaimer: Off Campus is rated TV-MA, suited for audiences 18+.
Amazon Prime’s newest young adult show, Off Campus, became one of the most watched series overnight. This show has sparked a lot of online discourse for many reasons—a fake-dating troupe, endless yearning, and, of course, the lingering love for hockey romance shows (thank you, Heated Rivalry). But people aren’t just connecting with the love story. They’re drawn to something we don’t see enough on screen—open conversations about consent, nonlinear healing journeys rooted in empowerment, and masculinity that celebrates safety, respect, and empathy. **Spoilers ahead**
Consent is more than just a “yes.”
The topic arguably gaining the most traction from fans of Off Campus is none other than consent. In episode four, Garret and his best friend, Dean, have a conversation about what usually makes women feel comfortable during sex. This is where Dean’s iconic line shows up: “She’s just got to feel completely safe. Like, completely relaxed. But consent is key. And she can’t consent if she doesn’t feel safe.” This scene stands out to many viewers because it not only highlights the importance of consent and emotional safety but also breaks away from the hypermasculine “locker room” culture that we typically see not only in media but also in real life.
Later in that same episode, when Hannah and Garrett are about to have sex, he constantly checks in with her to make sure she feels comfortable and safe. Hannah gets tense while they’re kissing, and Garrett stops to check in with her. Even though she says she wants to keep going, her nonverbal cues say that she’s uncomfortable, so he suggests they stop.
While most shows and movies frame asking for consent as an awkward moment, these scenes from Off Campus model how consent should be rooted in open communication and care.
Healing from abuse or assault isn’t linear.
A huge part of the narrative in Off Campus is how Hannah and Garrett’s experiences of assault and abuse affect their relationships with others and themselves. Although Hannah completed a therapy program following the sexual assault she experienced in high school, she still carries a lot of shame and guilt. In episodes five and seven, she mentions that the main reason she doesn’t like returning to her hometown is that she experienced victim-blaming during the trial against her assailant. People in the town didn’t believe Hannah because her assailant was the mayor’s son and had a handful of his friends testify against her, leading to the case being dismissed. Unfortunately, experiences like this are a reality for many survivors. In a vulnerable phone call at the end of the season, Hannah’s mom reassures her that what happened wasn’t her fault, and she has nothing to apologize for (mom of the year!).
For Garrett, his experience of survivorship is rooted in a fear that he will turn out to be like his father, who abused both him and his mother during his childhood. In episode seven, Garrett unknowingly comes face-to-face with Hannah’s assailant from high school, which ends in a violent fight on the ice. After that game, his dad waits outside the locker room to tell him he’s “proud of what he did out there.” That celebration of violence leads Garrett to confront his father’s abusive behaviors and express that he doesn’t want to have a relationship with him or ever be like him. Out of spite, his dad barks back, “You already are.”
Right after that, Garrett has an emotional conversation with Hannah where she voices concern that his love for her could make him do something for her that she didn’t ask for. Unfortunately, due to his internalized fear of becoming like his father, he interprets this as “Hannah is afraid of me” and impulsively ends their relationship.
Both characters’ journeys throughout the series show that for many survivors, trauma from abusive experiences often lingers. Media usually portrays healing as a clean transformation or that there’s some magic fix to everything, but that’s not the case. Healing isn’t linear—it can involve internalized emotions, conflicting feelings, and highs and lows. Off Campus does a great job of showing the patience that it requires to heal after traumatic experiences like abuse and assault.
Masculinity doesn’t have to follow the traditional script we’re used to.
Although hockey is typically a sport based on aggressive masculinity, Off Campus uses the sport as a space for community and care. The Briar U boys are allowed emotional accessibility and vulnerability instead of being reduced to emotionally unavailable stereotypes present in many movies and TV shows. These men pay attention to the ways their behaviors affect others, especially the women in their lives. They’re not afraid to call each other out and hold each other accountable for their actions.
One of my favorite scenes comes from episode four, where Garrett is trying to understand what his feelings are for Hannah during hockey practice. Instead of teasing or dismissing him, his friends offer a space to actively listen to him and offer sound advice. While Garrett expresses his confusion about his friendship with Hannah, his teammates point out the obvious thing all the viewers are screaming at the screen—YOU LIKE HER. The scene ends with Dean urging Garrett to show up to the theatre show (where Hannah mentioned she would be), so he can talk to Hannah and tell her how he truly feels.
This version of masculinity isn’t based on dominance or insecurity, but on empathy, communication, and genuine connection. Instead of glorifying emotional detachment, Off Campus shows that vulnerability can actually be one of the strongest forms of masculinity.
While Off Campus may be fictional, the conversations it sparks are very real. Beneath the hockey games, fake dating, and slow-burn romance is a story about what it means to feel safe with another person. It’s about learning how to communicate, unlearning shame, confronting cycles of violence, and realizing that vulnerability doesn’t make someone weak. By challenging traditional ideas about relationships, healing, and masculinity, Off Campus opens the door for conversations that extend far beyond the screen—and that may be one of the most impactful things about it.
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