In the many times I’ve rewatched and written about Off Campus, I haven’t done much on Season 1, Episode 2, “The Practice,” so we need to rectify that now. On top of Hannah and Garrett’s practice first kiss, so much of what happens in this episode effectively pedals us toward the trajectory we need to be on, and months later, it still floors me. (Naturally, for Dean and Allie, too!)
But really, from the adorable cheek kiss to the honest conversations in the bedroom, and every look that’s shared, we get gorgeous beats that fill every frame with something worthwhile to bring Elle Kennedy‘s novel to life. The writing, the parallels, the music, and the performances from Ella Bright and Belmont Cameli all contribute to making sure the party scenes stand out and remain memorable.
Hannah and Garrett as the Magician and a Bunny
Their costume choices work for various reasons, one of them being the element of surprise. When Hannah isn’t there, people are making assumptions about Garrett being a “bad vampire.” Interestingly, it’s an intricate metaphor for how Garrett’s perceived on the surface as well. Standoffish and someone who doesn’t do girlfriends. Maybe even a little cold. What they don’t know is that he has a vampire in his life, and his name is Phil Graham—someone who, in more ways than one, has snuffed out the light in Garrett and broken him beyond repair. There’s an aura to vampires, and the assumption that people put on Garrett is so interesting because it all changes when Hannah steps into the picture, literally descending the stairs dressed in white.
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The magician and the bunny also represent unexpected joy, which is a precious analogy that does its job to hint at how their relationship will pan out. Garrett never set out to find anything but a tutor, and in Hannah, he finds the most joy he’s ever known. And what exactly do bunnies represent in the grand scheme of things? Joy. Energy. Light. Every little thing that’s been missing from his life is present with her.
And what stands out most when they’re in public is the cheek kiss. Yes, at this point, they’ve already shared their first practice kiss, but there’s something different about the way everything shifts in this moment because there’s an understanding here—unexpected comfort. As much as it’s for show because it takes place right in front of Jules, it’s also because Garrett’s attentiveness signals to Hannah that she’s safe with him. The trust they’ve fortified the night of karaoke, where she lets him guard her drinks, is much stronger than the trust they have here, but it’s present, nonetheless. It’s still important. It matters.
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She doesn’t know that Logan is the one who suggested the closed can, but that’s not what’s consequential here. What matters is that Garrett suggests something to her without pressuring her. If she’d said no to the canned drink, he wouldn’t have pushed. We know, with absolute certainty, that he would’ve gone back to find her a bottle of water or something else. It’s also the way he poses the question that shows Hannah he isn’t scared of showing a softer side next to Jules, despite what they’re trying to prove about their relationship. The gentleness in his tone is exactly what stands out, and it’s something that matters to Hannah. Tremendously.
The softness in her kiss, and the closed-mouth, genuinely content smile that splits his face, is also Garrett’s way of showing us that it affects him. He can’t help it there. It’s completely natural on his part, and if there’s one thing the course of the show proves, it’s that physical touch is one of Garrett’s love languages. Sure, it’s all for show at the party, but small physical touches start to become bigger when feelings are growing, and we know that’s the case for Hannah and Garrett. We see it in their practice kiss, and the realization that though none of this is real, it’s unlike anything either of them has experienced.
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The feelings that are building below the surface make brief appearances throughout these scenes, and while they’re emotions neither of them is fully aware of, it’s still easy to pinpoint that the other’s company is a lovely little treat in a crowded room. A place to land that feels so specifically made for them.
This is also the scene where we get Garrett’s famous, “sometimes people sneak up on you” line, and while he says it casually to Logan, his distracted state does something intentional to reveal that he actually means it. He isn’t just trying to brush Logan off or feed into their scheme, but he gives a fully transparent answer about Hannah’s importance, even if he himself can’t grasp the magnitude of those words yet.
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It’s all pretend, but we see the look on Garrett’s face when Hannah walks in, looking “boy hot.” He proposes she does this to impress everyone else, but he’s the one who’s immediately enamored. He’s the one who feels something indescribable sparkle to life. He’s the one who reacts to the cheek kiss with a look that’s so boyish and precious that it’s a complete juxtaposition to the hockey player bada$s persona he wears like armor. This is where we start to see some of Garrett’s multitudes come to the surface, and for such a small scene to hold such layers continues to serve as proof of how much work went into every frame of Off Campus.
Quiet Conversations in the Bedroom
There’s a lot I’ve said about this specific scene in my Hannah and Garrett relationship deep dive, but this part bears repeating: “Garrett is the definition of he fell first and hard. He’s already inching toward uncharted territories for him when he watches her lose herself to Elton John’s “The B!t!ch is Back,” and he tenderly admits to it later when he tells her about that moment. “I followed your voice through the tunnels. I saw you in the green room…you were so genuine. Free. You centered me.” He might not fully grasp the why in philosophy, but poetry could certainly work for Garrett. Because that’s exactly what the simplicity in this declaration is. It’s poetry.”
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In a lot of ways, when Garrett tells Hannah the truth here, he isn’t just talking about the moment he watched her sing, but he’s also talking about their time spent together at the party. Whether he realizes it or not, Hannah centers him constantly, which is naturally something we see throughout the course of their relationship, but he admits it to her because already, he feels safe enough to give in to his more tender side.
He feels safe to let some of his walls down, and while they’re physically separated by a whole bed in between them, the intimacy in this scene is still unmistakable. You can feel the warmth in how their voices are a little more relaxed and how their energy is mellower compared to the noises blaring outside. You can visibly see the centering take place, and you can fully grasp the safety net they’re blanketed in.
There’s so much to appreciate about how Off Campus explores intimacy with their “Bed on Fire” montage, but this beat carefully builds to that place with Hannah feeling safe enough to sleep in a room with another man. That detail alone is crucial, especially when it follows another charged and heated moment above the stairs where he whispers in her ear about all the things he’d want to do to her if they weren’t fake dating.
Right at this moment, neither of them is aware of the gravitational pull between them, but it’s so beautifully palpable to us that when we see that they’ve later fallen asleep together, it makes complete sense. (The scene is also scored perfectly by Keegan DeWitt with an appropriately titled track, “Sleeping.”) It makes sense given how music has the ability to bring people together, and that’s exactly what we see when they start sharing songs and covers. When they choose to be vulnerable with each other. Soft. Sweet. Unguarded.
It’s in these quiet moments where they start to build trust, bringing each other a sense of unparalleled ease that ensures they feel safe enough to fall asleep beside each other, and that detail alone is everything.
Now streaming on Prime Video: What are your thoughts on Hannah and Garrett’s scenes at Dean and Beau’s joint costume party?
First Featured Image Credit: ©Liane Hentscher/Prime