The art of showing each other isn’t uncommon in romance novels. In fact, it’s one of the most achingly romantic means of not only destigmatizing an act of intimacy, but it’s a way to connect couples through a matter that’s entirely tethered to each character’s respective agency. And for Hannah and Garrett’s first time in Off Campus, it’s everything to showcase the unshakable trust that visibly binds them.
As book fans know, this is one of the moments from Elle Kennedy’s The Deal that was non-negotiable in the adaptation. There had to be some version of it on screen, and through Cheech Monhar’s teleplay and Samantha Bailey’s keen directing, coupled with the staggering performances from Ella Bright and Belmont Cameli, the result is perfect. There’s no other word more fitting than what actually defines something flawless. The pacing, the needle drops, the sound mixing, the lighting, and the build-up all lead us to a gorgeously intimate scene that stands as a compelling portrait of trust.
Trust isn’t easy for Hannah Wells, and before she explains the exact reason why, Garrett can recognize the walls she armors herself behind. Because of this, when they slowly open up to each other from opposite sides of the floor in “The Practice,” he gives her a part of his truth by telling her that her singing in the greenroom centered him. Then, by the time we get to the karaoke scene, it’s obvious at that point that he’s falling. At the same time, because she can trust him to guard her drinks, she can trust him with the truth about the sexual assault and trauma tethered to it.
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Their honest, fully straightforward conversations are a stepping stone in every way. We have a clear, solid foundation of the detail that with Garrett, Hannah is completely safe. It’s also why we can feel the tension flickering right as she walks in with Griff’s “Vertigo,” easing us into the scene. There’s a slight awkwardness coupled with their familiar ease together that simultaneously fans the flames.
The Build-Up and Longing Play a Crucial Role in Hannah and Garrett’s First Time
That’s why, by the time they go upstairs to his room, every emotion they’re both feeling stretches between them and settles like a transcendent glow. Trust envelops them, which is why it makes complete sense that Garrett would ask her if she’d rather change out of Allie’s dress, showing that he can visibly see the discomfort she feels in a dress that isn’t hers. It’s a delicate parallel to the previous episode, when he found her in nothing but his jersey, cozier and more at ease than she is at this moment.
Still, he lets her decide. And when the answer is a yes, he playfully tosses his T-shirt to her, then turns around as she changes. There, when Hannah says that he doesn’t have to turn around because he’s about to see her naked, Garrett’s response once again underscores his understanding of consent as well as his deep respect for her autonomy and her agency. The words, “not until you want me to,” say everything in this situation because he wants her to know, without a shadow of a doubt, that with him, every single choice she makes matters, even if they feel like simple, small decisions.
The way he smiles to himself when he can hear the movements Hannah is making behind him. The fact that the camera’s focus is on his stillness, emphasizing the detail that this is all new for him, too, matters to ensure that every beat of their first time together is handled with the respect it deserves.
And then come the awkward chuckles, questions, and guarded smiles right before he proposes that they should set the mood. Again, the fact that he even lets her choose the music (“Baby Now That I’ve Found You” by The Foundations) crystallizes just how important it is for Garrett to get this right for her. He might’ve told her that doing it for her because she’s a “friend,” but the reality is that he cares about Hannah in a way that cracks everything in him wide open. It leaves him a little fragile and stripped of his own armor. Vulnerable.
There’s so much to appreciate about how Off Campus brings Hannah and Garrett’s story to life, but nothing is as breathtaking as the way they laugh together. The different ways in which both Bright and Cameli show us that each beat of laughter means something different is no small feat. We get the awkward chuckles at first, the one where they’re poking fun at each other, and then once they start dancing, we get the one that’s reserved solely for the other—the effortless, unguarded laugh that leaps right out of their hearts.
The way he watches her spin and shakes his head a little, like he can’t quite believe she’s here in front of him—sharing his space. Trusting him. Blink and you’ll miss it, but the fact that we can pick apart and analyze every single one of their reactions as they dance and loosen up gorgeously ensures that trust ribbons around them, proving that their friendship is the foundation of everything. Because of this, once the laughter settles as their bodies draw closer, and we go from Hannah’s smile to Garrett’s yearning, we get peak romance on our screens.
It’s in that moment where the music fades to the sounds of accelerating heartbeats to draw out the detail that their hearts are beating outside of their chests—hoping, wanting, itching to latch on to the other’s. Each breath they take heightens the tension, bringing all the overwhelming feelings they’re experiencing back to the forefront. In a sea of really stunning intimate scenes, which I’ll never complain about, kissing is almost a lost art. Yet, the way that Hannah and Garrett kiss in this scene is so tender, it makes my heart squeeze. The fact that it’s clear neither of them wants to stop—that they can keep going. And when they’re on the bed, and he draws his lips to her pulse point, the visible shift in how he moves his body emphasizes why neck kisses are so special.
Her heartbeat, right under his lips. The way he lingers and stays at that exact spot for a few beats because he’s savoring the moment—savoring her. The emphasis on the sounds of her pounding pulse as her breath quickens before she clutches the sheet, and he immediately recognizes that this isn’t from pleasure are all achingly gutting. The instant realization that fear and heartaches have taken over is another overt showcase that, despite how desperately he wants this, he’s careful to read her every move.
And Garrett’s words that follow in the next few moments are some of the most significant responses, because he doesn’t just say the right thing, but it’s the tenderness with which he delivers them, not out of pity, but out of unwavering respect. “Yeah, but you don’t have to” is the perfect reminder to her (and everyone who’s watching) that her decisions are all okay. He respects them.
But it’s Ella Bright who breaks me in this moment because she handles Hannah’s pain with such delicacy and nuance that it shatters you. It’s a moment that could’ve so easily been overdone, yet Bright’s intimate understanding of Hannah’s heart layers every word she speaks with depth. It also adds a beat of relatability, whether someone’s been assaulted or not, sex isn’t always effortless, and the awareness of that isn’t always easy to vocalize out loud.
That’s why, when she tries to question if something is wrong with her, Garrett immediately shuts that thought down with the fact that there’s nothing wrong with her, which speaks to broader experiences, too. And when she delivers the “what if I’m broken” line, Garrett’s response is maybe even more heart-wrenching in the show because of the gravity that Cameli infuses into every word Garrett says. Coupled with the sincerity in his eyes, the way he punctuates the words “you’re” and “not” are stunning.
“Nothing is more vulnerable than sex,” he emphasizes, and these are the very words that more often than not, people forget. It doesn’t matter how deeply you trust someone or how carefully you plan it all out in your head; sex is an act of profound vulnerability. And when there are emotions involved outside of the physical desires, it makes it even more complex.
Garrett’s words make a clear point that there’s absolutely nothing wrong with Hannah, and no matter what happens during the rest of the night, it’s all in her hands. It’s going to be about what she wants. The question then, about whether she’d want to try showing him, while he shows her, adds gravitas to the act of climaxing in a way that’s almost so painstakingly tender, I can’t actually handle it.
It’s there, where his proposal isn’t even remotely selfish because he’s also going to strip himself bare—physically and emotionally—to ensure that they’re in the same space together. It’s why everything about Hannah and Garrett’s first time is so memorable, because the vulnerability required is transcendent.
Off Campus has the opportunity to utilize a number of incredible needle drops, but none more perfect than Maggie Rogers’ “Back in My Body.” Sexual assault takes too much away from a person, but as it steals their agency and their choices, it takes away their sense of self. If we lose the connection we have to our physical bodies, the ever-present ache is unfathomable. It’s why this scene changes everything for the two of them, because once they come, the trust between them solidifies even more. The camera moving from his eyes to hers, once he says, “stay here, stay with me,” reflects that change so poignantly that again, it’s overwhelming to even think about.
She can come with Garrett, not only because she trusts him fully, but because he’s made it clear that she has autonomy with him. Agency. No matter what decision she makes, it’s never the wrong one. It’s also worth noting that while it’s not hard for Garrett Graham to take off his shirt, here, he does it first in an act that differentiates from all the other instances where he’s been shirtless. He makes that conscious choice to make himself vulnerable like a domino piece that he’s hoping will help her. It also feels important to point out his small chuckle again—that sincere beat of disbelief that he wants this, too. That he can’t believe she trusts him like this. It’s why the awe-struck look in his eyes is a safety net to showcase that he isn’t leering when he’s watching her, he’s admiring.
When they start touching themselves as the bridge swells and fuses with their heartbeats and heavy breathing, the act of climaxing comes to life through a beautiful beat of intimacy that’s as profound as it is because of their friendship. The way he smiles, unable to hold it back. The way that their eyes never leave each other as they pick up pace. The conversations that take place in the silence alongside the music. It’s all stunning and warm. There’s a low light cascading through his window, yet the bright afterglow in his bedroom glitters because of them.
Ultimately, Hannah and Garrett’s first time isn’t a scene that can be separated from their mutual respect for each other. It’s for her, in more ways than one, but it’s his arousal, too. It’s the detail that the trust they’ve fortified up until this moment is a tether that’s ribboning them in a closeness that’s too big for either of them to process right now. And so, they laugh.
When they fully let go, and the waves are still rippling through them, they lie side by side and laugh. They hold each other’s gaze, and for the first time, they don’t fight against the emotions pounding inside them. They exhale through laughter, eyes locked, and in a world of their own. On the surface, it’s the aftermath of consensual sex—dizzying joy and sweat-stained skin pressed together after a kaleidoscopic climax. But the layers in the shot of Hannah and Garrett laughing together might be the most intimate part of this scene because it’s exactly what shows us that this is the endgame. Because this is a love scene—it’s two best friends, lying next to each other, lost in a beat of happiness that’s wholly indescribable.
Finally, the gratitude—both of them thanking the other because it’s all they can think of at the moment. Two people recognizing that the laughter settling in the space between them is all the words left unsaid. They’re it for each other. Everything. They’re safe. And that safe space is something they’ve both been searching for—time and time again. Somewhere to land, next to someone who’ll catch their sorrows and all their joy. Someone who’ll hold them close until they’re ready to open up and unburden themselves. A person to share all the moments they can get—the good, the bad, the ugly, and everything in between. And, that, to me, is intimacy at its most sacred.
What are your thoughts on Hannah and Garrett’s first time in Off Campus? Let us know in the comments below.
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