If you’ve just binged Off Campus and immediately texted your group chat “wait… this wasn’t in the book??” — you’re not alone.
Prime Video’s take on Elle Kennedy’s The Deal mostly sticks to the bones of the story, but it’s definitely not a word-for-word adaptation. Some changes feel like natural upgrades for TV, others… will probably have BookTok in mild distress. Either way, if you’re a ride-or-die for Garrett Graham (Belmont Cameli) and Hannah Wells (Ella Bright), there’s a lot to unpack.
There are a LOT of book and show spoilers in here by the way. You’ve been warned!
First things first: Garrett is not that perfect anymore
Let’s start with the obvious. Book Garrett is basically a walking green flag with a hockey stick. Show Garrett? Still charming, still hot, but a little more human.
Belmont Cameli told PEDESTRIAN.TV he intentionally leaned into that shift.
“I think the Garrett Graham from the books is a flawless guy,” he said.
“He’s on the Mount Rushmore of like never did anything wrong to nobody. I really wanted to make sure that my Garrett Graham was a flawed individual like anybody else.”
You can feel that pretty early on. The show gives Garrett more emotional messiness, especially in how he handles conflict with Hannah. It makes the relationship feel a bit less fantasy boyfriend, a bit more of a guy who still has things to work through.
The way Hannah and Garrett meet is… a lot more chaotic
In the book, Garrett notices Hannah after she drops her A+ ethics paper. Cute, academic enemies-to-lovers vibes.
In the show, she walks in on him in the shower at the rink.
Subtle.
It sets a very different tone from the jump — less slow-burn admiration, more immediate banter and awkward tension. The ethics class connection still exists, but it’s not their origin story anymore.
Justin got a full personality transplant
This is one of the bigger (and honestly better) changes.
In the book, Justin (Josh Heuston) is a football player who reads Hemingway. In the show, he’s a musician — which actually ties directly into Hannah’s storyline. Instead of orbiting her as a distant crush, he’s actively involved in helping her write her song for the Pop Showcase.
It also makes Hannah’s interest in him feel more grounded in shared creative energy rather than just… vibes and cheekbones.
Although I will say, where did he go?? Like they decided not to do the showcase with Hannah and then we never saw him again?? Not even at the showcase, make it make sense?
Hannah’s storyline shifts
The show shifts Hannah from aspiring singer-songwriter working on a duet to a film composition student who has to write a pop song to keep her scholarship.
That creative pressure becomes part of her emotional arc. Her writer’s block is tied to her trauma, and opening up — both romantically and artistically — happens in parallel.
Showrunner Louisa Levy explained that balance was intentional: “We wanted to find ways to externalise [the inner monologue] wherever we could… we only have eight episodes, and we also don’t have the inner monologue that exists in books.”
She also made it clear the series was careful in how it handled Hannah’s assault: “We never actually show any of the trauma, because it’s not about the trauma. It’s about surviving.”
Garrett’s family storyline is toned down (a lot)
If you were waiting for the full emotional devastation of Garrett’s financial situation… yeah, that’s not really here.
In the book, his dad has serious financial control over him, which becomes a major plot point (and the reason for the breakup). In the show, that angle is largely removed.
Levy explained part of that comes down to real-world changes.
“New laws were passed that the hockey players can actually earn money off of their image and likeness, “she told P.TV.
“So a lot of the financial stuff that played in the books with Garrett doesn’t quite apply anymore.”
Instead, the show leans more into his drafted NHL future and endorsement opportunities.
That breakup? Completely different energy
Book readers will remember the breakup being tied to Garrett’s dad manipulating Hannah behind the scenes.
The show throws that out and replaces it with something much more immediate and physical. Garrett finds out Hannah’s rapist is on the opposing team, beats him on the ice, and everything spirals from there.
It’s more dramatic, more public, and very much centred on Garrett’s anger rather than miscommunication.
Whether it works better… depends on how attached you are to the original angst.
The show is already messing with the timeline (and future couples)
Possibly the wildest change? We’re getting major Allie (Mika Abdalla) and Dean (Stephen Kalyn) content way earlier than expected.
Their storyline (which belongs to The Score, aka book three) is already baked into season one, including their messy dynamic with Sean (Riley Davis) and even Hunter Davenport (Charlie Evans) entering the chat early.
Translation: the show is not sticking to the book order.
It’s clearly setting up future seasons in a different way, which might explain why some storylines feel sped up or reshuffled.
So… why all the changes?
Short answer: TV is a different beast.
As Levy put it, the team focused on “things that were truly non-negotiable must-haves” while reworking others to fit an eight-episode structure and a 2026 campus setting.
That also extended to how the show approaches representation and character identity. Levy told P.TV, “It was really important to us we didn’t change any of the genders or sexualities in any of our core four or Hannah or Allie, we always paid attention to casting true to each character’s essence”.
At the same time, the goal was to make the world feel current: “We also wanted to open up the world of our show so that it reflects the world of today and the campus life.”
So while the timeline might be shuffled and certain story beats look a little different, the core of these characters is very much intact, just filtered through a slightly more 2026 lens.
Lead image: Prime Video / X
The post The 7 Biggest Differences Between Off Campus And The Deal, From Garrett To *That* Breakup appeared first on PEDESTRIAN.TV .
