Quinn’s dating life may be suspiciously quiet right now, but thankfully her friends are keeping the content coming. This week, we’re swapping our own dating updates for a few stories from the trenches including one Hinge match that took eight months to make it to a first date, a 4 a.m. condom scavenger hunt that ended exactly as successfully as you’d expect, and a Raya date that somehow turned into a cross-country trip, a Red Rocks concert, and an unexpected overnight therapy session.

We also get into what it actually means when a man calls you “intimidating,” why some men seem willing to say whatever they need to say to get what they want, and the ways we convince ourselves to overlook our own instincts when we’re lonely… or when the guy is really, really tall.

Plus, spooky season is officially approaching, which means it’s almost time for our favorite annual tradition: your dating horror stories. Send us the dates that haunt you, the red flags you should have seen coming, and the moments that still make you question your judgment. We’ll be reading them on our Halloween episode.

This week, we’re getting out of our comfort zones, literally and emotionally. Katie dragged Quinn to a hip hop dance class, which naturally turned into a conversation about trying new things, being bad at things, and remembering that you’re allowed to be a beginner.

AND Quinn finally has a dating update. She ended things with Sean (and apparently Katie saw it coming long before she did), and we get back into the Ricky situation, where Quinn is somehow still questioning whether he likes her despite the fact that he has literally said, “I like you.” We play our favorite game of best-case/worst-case scenario, unpack why it’s so hard to see a situation clearly when you’re the one living it, and discuss the difference between a connection that is obvious and one that leaves you constantly questioning where you stand.

And somewhere in all of this, we have a little epiphany about why we keep sharing the “crazy” thoughts on this podcast in the first place: because growth doesn’t mean you never have those thoughts again. Sometimes it just means you can talk about them without letting them run the show.

We have Babs in the studio this week! Podcast host, content creator, professional introspector, and most importantly… a single man willing to give us the male perspective on modern dating. We get into what Babs is contributing to the dating pool, including his tendency to get excited about potential, plan thoughtful dates, and accidentally give people the impression he’s more serious than he actually is. We also talk about the work he’s doing to become more communicative and honest about what he’s feeling while dating.

Babs shares the life experiences that forced him to grow, leaving a long-term relationship, getting laid off, and moving to a new city and reminds us that sometimes we need to stop trying to become a better version of ourselves long enough to appreciate who we’ve already become.

Plus, we get his take on dating multiple people, why dating should actually be fun, and the one question we obviously had to ask: who is Babs’ favorite Gossip Girl couple?

This week, Katie and Quinn are both a little deep in their own heads and could use a mind, body, and soul reset. Katie, however, had a much more wholesome weekend: she officially met the rest of her boyfriend’s extended family, seamlessly fit right in, and may have accidentally convinced herself that she now wants a full-blown wedding so she can party with her future in-laws. Naturally, we get into what it means to build a relationship with your partner’s family, and what happens when your experience with family looks a little different.

Then Quinn enters her “why not me, when is it my turn?” era, despite finding the sentiment absolutely embarrassing. We also briefly revisit Sean and get into why we actually support dating multiple people at once. Not to play games, but because different people can bring out completely different sides of you. Sometimes dating isn’t just about figuring out who you like… it’s about figuring out who you like being when you’re with them.

This week, you picked the topics! We turn to our listeners for a few of the biggest questions in modern dating: when should you tell someone how you feel if you know they might like you more than you like them? How long should you text before actually going on a date? And who should pay when you finally meet?

We get into the importance of communicating instead of assuming, why your gut might already know the answer you're avoiding, and Quinn's very strong opinion that if you matched on an app, you should probably meet in person ASAP. We also unpack the never-ending online dating discourse and why advice that worked for one person doesn't necessarily work for everyone. Because dating is nuanced, subjective, and apparently something everyone has an opinion about.

Basically, we asked our listeners what they wanted to talk about… and then gave ourselves the microphones to yap about it.

The roster is already shrinking. Just one week after Quinn introduced her dating “bench,” Levi has officially removed himself from the lineup after sending a seven-paragraph breakup text that left Quinn with feelings. Meanwhile, another guy is somehow ghosting her while actively interacting with her on Strava, and Quinn makes the controversial decision to cancel a first date because her gut told her there was no romantic connection. As Katie so perfectly puts it: “Date or get off the pot.”

But what starts as another episode of dating agony turns into a much deeper conversation about where we are in our lives and what we actually want from love. Katie reflects on being happier than she’s ever been and how her relationship has brought so much lightness back into her life, while Quinn realizes she finally feels ready to grow with someone instead of needing relationships to teach her a lesson or push her toward the next chapter. We also question whether we’ve ever truly been “in love” before and how much our definition of love has changed along the way.

We’ve only seen each other twice since July, so naturally we have a LOT to catch up on. Quinn’s dating life is officially in full swing again, and she’s introducing three new characters to the Unprotected Ex universe: Levi, Ricky & Sean. For the first time in a while, she might actually have more than one solid option and, as Quinn puts it, “dating has gotten so strange.”

We talk about what happens when you finally let go of the people and situations that aren’t meant for you and suddenly make room for the ones who actually check the boxes. Quinn also finds herself in new territory dating someone who discovered her TikTok before they ever went out and can now watch her dating life and feelings unfold in real time. Meanwhile, both of us run into ghosts from our past and start talking about the “echoes” those experiences leave behind: the little things in new relationships that remind us of something that once hurt.

Plus, a little existential reflection on why meeting new people might actually be one of the best ways to experience life.

We're back from summer break... and after spending two straight weeks traveling through Europe together, we have thoughts. They say you don't really know someone until you travel with them, and let's just say we learned a few things about each other that definitely didn't come up in the podcast studio.

From food schedules and oral hygiene habits to Quinn's reaction after spotting the cutest Italian guy she's ever seen, we're unpacking all the little moments that made this trip unforgettable. We also talk about the inevitable travel bickering, why being tired and sweaty can bring out the worst in you, and why we still came home knowing we'd book another trip together in a heartbeat.

If you're new here, this is the perfect episode to get to know us. And if you've been with us for a while... welcome back. We missed you.

This week, we're answering another listener dating question: is it okay to hit on someone at the gym? And if so... how do you do it without being that person?

Quinn makes the case that the gym might actually be one of the best places to meet someone—you already know you have at least one thing in common. After all, there was a period of time when her entire social life consisted of working from home and going to the gym, so where exactly was she supposed to meet people? We discuss why the gym environment matters, the difference between a big commercial gym and a smaller community gym, and the unspoken rules everyone should probably follow.

Katie shares a recent gym encounter that somehow involved a European-style greeting in the middle of a 24 Hour Fitness, and together we break down the right (and very wrong) ways to approach someone while they're trying to work out. Spoiler alert: interrupting someone's set is never the move. If you're going to shoot your shot at the gym, it's all about patience, reading the room, and playing the long game.

This week starts with Quinn accidentally meeting yet another man in the wild which, somehow, all began with a handstand contest. What started as a night out with friends and a few secret missions turned into an unexpected connection, a group adventure, and one of the most shocking things we've ever witnessed through floor-to-ceiling windows.

We also answer a listener question about slow burns in dating and when physical intimacy should enter the picture when you're intentionally trying to build something more meaningful. That conversation leads us into a deeper discussion about boundaries, delayed gratification, and why so many of us abandon the standards we set for ourselves the second we catch feelings.

As the episode unfolds, things get surprisingly vulnerable. Quinn reflects on how her views on physical and emotional intimacy have changed over the years, while Katie shares why taking physical intimacy off the table can sometimes be less about restriction and more about wanting to be valued for who you are beyond attraction. This episode is equal parts chaotic storytime, dating advice, and an honest conversation about what it means to stay true to yourself when someone new enters your life.