Spoilers for Episode 2 of Off Campus, as well as the book The Deal, are ahead! Read with caution, and stream the series with an Amazon Prime subscription.
When I was reading the Off Campus novels and preparing for the book-to-screen adaptation’s premiere on the 2026 TV schedule, I saw so many posts from readers about wanting to see the moment where Hannah kisses Dean in an effort to prove to Garrett that she does not have feelings for him. Then, I watched the show, and was shocked to see it changed that scene to involve Logan in the kiss instead of Dean. So, I had to ask the guys who play them about this, and they told me why this update actually packs a bigger punch.
As I mentioned, in the book Season 1 of Off Campus is inspired by, Garrett and Hannah shared a kiss that’s for “practice” because she was still trying to woo Justin. However, it’s clear both she and Garrett were feeling real feelings as they made out. Then, Dean walked in, called them out, and told Hannah that if it was just for practice, she should kiss him. So, she did.
In the show, it’s a bit different. Hannah and Garrett still made out for practice. However, it’s Logan who walked in on them. So, in an effort to prove Garrett wrong, Hannah walked up to Logan and told him she was going to kiss him. Then she does. It’s a big change, and because fans love the book scene so much, I had to ask Antonio Cipriano, who plays Logan, about it. Here’s what he said:
Well, I think, you know, obviously, I loved the scene in the book. I was like, ‘Oh, that's genius. That's hilarious.’ But I think it is kind of a brilliant move to make it Logan – to have her fake kiss Logan, and for [him] to be like, ‘Oh shit, I'm in. Like, I felt sparks. I know she didn't, but I felt it.’ And that it's just the fuel. And I think it was sad to see the moment go from the book. But contextually, I think it helps.
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I also agree that “contextually,” this change really helps out Logan’s subplot in the hockey romance. In both the books and the show, he has a pretty big crush on Hannah. In the novels, it’s obvious, but there aren’t very many moments that help us understand why he’s into her. In the show, there are many added scenes that prove he’s been paying attention to her and yearning for a long time.
Then, this kiss is like the final nail in the coffin. It gives Logan a moment of physical interaction to hang on to, and it helps us see him fall even further into his crush.
Stephen Kalyn, who plays Dean, pointed that out too. While it would have been fun to see his character in this moment, having Cipriano’s character be the recipient of the kiss did way more for Logan’s story than it would have for Dean. Further explaining that point, Kalyn told me:
It really raises the stakes a lot for your character, too, you know? It makes sense.
Plus, along with this being a nice emotional beat for Logan that helps us see his crush on Hannah, it’s still a hilarious scene. Much like Dean’s reaction in the book, Logan’s reaction is priceless, as Jalen Thomas Brooks, who plays Tucker, and Kalyn pointed out with the following back and forth:
- Jalen Thomas Brooks: That moment afterwards, where you’re like [makes a shocked face] ‘What was [that]?’
- Stephen Kalyn: The reaction is hilarious.
Overall, I was a big fan of this change, both from a story and humor perspective. It worked really well, and it helped raise the stakes when it came to Logan’s crush on Hannah.
It’s also just one of many examples of brilliant updates (which also includes making Justin a singer instead of a football player and a change to the hands-off law) that this show made from its source material. While Off Campus is a faithful adaptation, it also takes its own risks and forges its own path, and I think they all work very well.
So, yes, while it was a bit of a bummer to see the Dean kiss go, changing it up to be Logan was brilliant, and 100% packed a bigger punch.
