So, a friend of a friend kept telling me about Looking, this hot, smart, funny series he knows, and how we’d have such a great time together if we just met up. I’ll admit, I was resistant: I’ve been burned by other shows before. But it’s rare to find a fresh gay program these days, so I finally made a date with it last night. Nothing big, just a half hour to get to know each other.

There was some awkward pacing and we always cut away right before the sexy stuff, but there was also a genuine warmth to the encounter and this great lady making delightful jokes about terminally ill infants. I’m willing to go out with Looking again next week to see if we’ve got chemistry.

Don’t Name The Puppy

The first rule of dating is that you don’t give people names, but nicknames. Getting too attached too soon just sets you up for heartbreak later on. So I'm going to call the show’s leads by their most obvious facial characteristic: Awkward-but-cute gamer Patrick (Jonathan Groff) is Babyface; too-cool artist Augustin is Beard; and predatory waiter Dom is Mustache.

Don’t I Know You From Somewhere?

Since there are still relatively few examples of out gay actors playing out gay characters in our entertainment landscape, I’m sure most of these episodes will feature random guest stars that I know I’ve seen somewhere before. This week’s blast from the past: Matt Wilkas, from last year’s indie darling Gayby, plays Babyface's uptight OKCupid date. Sadly, Babyface’s ineptitude makes it likely that he won’t return to grace us with his dazzling charm any time soon. Actually, let’s talk a little more about that ineptitude.

Something For Everyone!

The opening scene—Babyface getting a handy in the park—really encapsulates how hard the creative team is trying to include everyone. On one hand, we cut right to the chase and begin with Patrick's in-progress public hookup. On the other hand, he's gotta be one of the most blindingly clueless hookup participant of all time.

Is this your first gay sex, viewer? Because it could easily be his, too! Judging by his OKCupid fumblings and the bleak romantic background he reveals, this may as well also be Babyface's first time dating. Let’s learn together.

What Could Go Wrong?

I love that Beard and his boyfriend have done everything but poison each other to put their relationship in jeopardy. They decide to move in together based on post-orgasm bliss mingled with jealousy over a hot trick, then spring for a spur-of-the-moment threesome with an (admittedly irresistible) acquaintance. They seal the deal by vaguely discussing the boundaries of their relationship regarding hookups. Vague communication is the key to a relationship, right?

I get that it’s hard to make good TV out of a long talk about boundaries, but “are we one of those couples?” isn't a question so much as a suicide pact.

The Creepiest Creeper Award Goes to…

Mustache! His only motivation is to have sex—with a stranger in the park, with his ex, with a (probably straight) coworker and then whomever he can find at the party. Shockingly, Dom's charming blend of barely-hidden innuendo, crippling desperation and serial killer fork-play fail to land him a bedmate.

The best part is when he overtly says that he needs sex to support his self-esteem, in case you somehow missed that nuanced little character detail.