We're casually dating Looking, the new gay drama from HBO, and sharing our observations and war stories. Somebody has to.

Your first drink with someone is mostly about the broad strokes. Is he cute? Employed? Drug- and disease-free? If you decide to meet again, you’re going to dig a little deeper. Who is this dude you’re sitting next to, really? Looking's second episode, "Looking for Uncut" was our follow-up date with Babyface (Patrick), Mustache (Dom), and Beard (Augustin) and gave us some helpful (and sometimes horrifying) insights into these guys.

Choose Your Topics Carefully

No one wants to hang out with someone who only talks about sex. In fact, the preoccupation with "looking" on Looking made me hesitant to go for another round. This week, the boys are still mostly invested in finding company for their genitals, but it was nice to see hints of life beyond that.

Babyface is adjusting to living without Beard (Augustin), who is already bristling about his newfound domesticity. And Mustache (Dom) is dealing with the fact that he’s made no progress in the past eight years while his clean-and-sober ex has become healthy and successful.

Looks like some actual plot is creeping in, folks.

Read Between the Lines

How people say things is as important as what they say: Listen to the conversation Babyface has with Beard as he moves out: We know from the way that Augustin always utters “threeway” in a barely-contained shout that it’s something he’s aggressively proud of. Babyface’s tendency to whisper when discussing race positions him as about as worldly as one of your Midwestern relatives. (And what's up with Babyface telling Beard he's eating kale as he wolfs down soggy mac-and-cheese?)

The show reveals its own preoccupations through tone as well: The main characters all act like drunk toddlers unless they are about to screw, are currently screwing, or have just screwed. Hopefully the creative team will pay as much attention to the guys' minds as they do their crotches.

Keep An Eye Out For Something Interesting

If your date isn’t going well, find the thing that’ll keep you involved: Maybe the dude has nice eyes or a great voice. Maybe the man sitting right behind him is attractive. It’s the same with Looking. Sure, Dom gets more clichéd by the minute. (He even says as much!) But his gal-pal roommate, Doris, is positively observant and witty after his Grindr hookup with a theatrical munchkin. She makes his fixation on topping young strangers almost tolerable.

Know When To Pick Up And Go

If your date raises a big red flag, don’t be shy about bailing: Babyface's Latin paramour was the most sympathetic character in "Looking for Uncut." Why? Because after Patrick made some drunken, quasi-racist comment about Mexican dicks, he diplomatically but definitively put his pants on and ended their encounter.

Similarly, Dom’s highly inappropriate rant to his ex in the middle of a client meeting gave me such shivers that I almost reflexively got up and left my apartment.