Phil goes to Kupitman, who must sign up the permission for him to go on vacation. But Kupitman, who's on the brink of insanity due his abstinence, decides to follow Bykov's advice and concentrate on finding a woman to distract himself, so he ignores whatever Phil's trying to say to him, despite it endangering Phil's plans (and them agreeing on this upfront). Sophia then asks Phil whether he knows any gays she can befriend; he knows none. While Phil was away, Kupitman actually gets visited by one of his lovers, but accidentally snaps at her, and ruins everything; Bykov suggests him another way to relax — jut yell at someone who can't yell back, like Phil. When Phil tries to ask Kupitman again, Kupitman yells at him, insults him, tears apart the document and gives him night shifts for all weekends, just out of bad mood. That's when Phil remembers Sophia's request... Sophia arrives just when Kupitman, to deal with stress, puts cosmetic mask on his face. Sophia starts assuring him that while she knows his "secret", she thinks nothing about it and would accept him anyway. Delighted, Kupitman decides to open his alcohol stash — and only then realises that Sophia talks about something unrelated... and he just revealed his alcoholism to her. But she doesn't mind that, either, not in the last turn because if her parents finds out, she would be forced to go back to Kirov. Now much nicer, Kupitman apologises to Phil and agrees to sign up the documents for his vacation.
This episode provides examples of:
- Cold Turkeys Are Everywhere: Yet another of Kupitman's lovers, when visits him, decides to drink a little cognac. Kupitman, to keep himself and his fading sanity under control, starts describing details about this bottle's origin (so fast it's barely audible), only to suddenly snap and yell at her, accusing her of being an "alcoholic". This predictably enrages her, forcing her to dump him. This only goes downhill after that.
- "Could Have Avoided This!" Plot: When Sophia learns about Kupitman's alcoholism, she states two things: firstly, she thinks that if her uncle likes alcohol, no one has right to forbid him, including her; and secondly, it's in her interests to keep it secret from her parents, too, because they would take her back to Kirov — and she wants nothing do do with Kirov.
- Everyone Has Standards: Subverted; Bykov shows his disgust at Alexei basically selling his body to improve Torzhok's hospital... and then asks Kisegach what they need for their hospital. She understands his intentions and immediately refuses, but Bykov still orders Alexei to "work" for new cardiograph for their hospital (he does that, and also obtains new X-Ray).
- Eye Take: When Bykov explains Alexei's "plan" to Kisegach, it takes her almost a full minute to just being able to say something, freezing with utter shock on her face — so utterly moronic this situation is.
- Face–Heel Turn: According to Lyuba (who knows her for a long time), Raisa used to be normal (or at least tolerable), until she was dumped by her husband. Since then, she became the insufferably jerk everyone knows.
- Gay Best Friend: After seeing one Camp Straight patient, Sophia reveals to Lyuba that she is interested in having a gay friend... because "it's like having a male and female friend simultaneously": you may go on shopping with them, watch melodramas together, and they know fashion even better than many girls. Also, they would know about local prestigious parties, and would help to defend from horny freaks. Lyuba (if only to get rid of Sophia) suggests to ask Phil, who has two dads, as "best specialist" in this sphere.
- Gaydar: When Sophia asks Phil to help her to find a gay (she wants to have a gay friend), he "checks" every single even vaguely "gay-like" man in the hospital, but each time it turns out that they aren't (with one even having a girlfriend). Then he remembers about his conflict with Sophia's uncle, and lies that Kupitman is gay.
- Gone Horribly Right: Alexei's plan (being very gentle during Raisa examination to help her to relax) ultimately arouses her enough to provoke her into seducing Lyosha. Then she demands sex again. And again. And again... While each time she provides Torzhok hospital with more gifts, Alexei isn't happy with being Raisa's "sex pet", and after multiple "sessions", he starts hiding from her.
- Internal Reveal: Sophia finally learns that her uncle isn't a teetotaller.
- Jerkass: Raisa, a VIP patient from ministry, is very hard to deal with due to her haughty and poisonous character (Kisegach thinks that she's even worse than Bykov), meaning that only someone with near saint-like patience would deal with her without conflicts — like Alexei. And even he barely manages to avoid snapping on her.
- Mean Boss: Bykov suggests Kupitman to deal with stress by yelling at subordinates; Kupitman follows this advice.Bykov: If you can't yell at a patient, yell at your subordinate — like Phil.
Kupitman: For what reason?
Bykov: Who cares? I once yelled at him because the weather was bad. - Mrs. Robinson: After Alexei, in attempt to calm her down, started very gently examining her, Raisa started arousing and ultimately decided to just seduce Alexei. After this, her demeanour changes to the better. Unfortunately, now she uses any excuse she could find to repeat it, and he can't risk disappointing her. After several... sessions, Lyosha starts hiding from her.
- Mistaken for Gay: Phil intentionally lies to Sophia about Kupitman's orientation, which results in her thinking that he is gay for the rest of the episode.
- My God, What Have I Done?: Subverted; at first, Kupitman states that Bykov's idea only made him feel worse due to acting like a total asshole to Phil, but when Bykov doesn't believe him, admits that only thing he cares about right now is finding some alcohol.
- Off the Wagon: After Sophia learns about his alcoholism — and decides to not report him to her relatives, Kupitman returns to being an alcoholic, though he doesn't get wasted just yet.
- One Dialogue, Two Conversations: Sophia talks about Kupitman's "secret", meaning him being "gay", and that she thinks that there's nothing to be ashamed of — she would accept him as is; Kupitman think she talks about his alcoholism, and gets surprised that she's so comfortable with it. Only when Kupitman opens his alcohol stash, he realises that she talks not about alcohol — and that he just revealed his actual secret by himself.
- Out of Focus: Maxim isn't presented in this episode.
- Pay Evil unto Evil: Phil, angry at Kupitman for his rude and abusive behaviour, when asked by Sophia whether he knows any gays, lies that it's Kupitman, ensuring Kupitman quite an embarrassment.
- The Pornomancer: Alexei was already known for randomly and out of nowhere receiving "free" sex — but this time, his entire plot consists of his affair with Raisa. He was okay with it at first, not so much after many, many repeats (and it was not even his idea to begin with!). By the end of the episode, he looks just exhausted.
- Sanity Slippage: Kupitman starts going insane due to abstinence, forcing him to leave his office; according to him, it has an "aura", which almost whispers to him: "drink me... drink me...". Bykov suggests to try Kupitman's other "hobby", women, to get distracted from cognac's "call", but then Kupitman snaps and yells at one of his lovers when she takes his cognac, accusing her of being an alcoholic (which predictably destroys their relationship).
- What Were You Thinking?: When Kisegach manages to even process the level of Alexei's idiocy, she asks him just what were he thinking when he banged such important official and whether he even considered consequences it would have for everyone. He didn't, thinking only about Torzhok.
