Alexei comes to work with obvious symptoms of flu; Sophia wants to turn him back home, but Bykov has a better idea: force Sophia to treat Lyosha as her patient. But now Max thinks that Alexei just tricked everyone to think that he's ill, and "congratulates" him on good scheme, not knowing that he's indeed sick. He also thinks that it's his attempt to win some sympathy from Sophia. Unfortunately, Sophia overhears that discussion, and, thinking that Max is right, refuses to help Lyosha any further. Alexei goes to Bykov to complain, and Bykov checks him himself, diagnosing pneumonia. Bykov then learns about the whole story from Sophia, tells her that she's just paranoid, and forces to do what's ordered (right after punishing for stupidity). Sophia finally sees that Alexei is indeed sick... and is on the brink of death. Unknowingly to her, this time, he exaggerates severity of his condition: Maxim gave him an idea to exploit his condition. Maxim congratulates him: he just planted a seed of doubt in Sophia's head, which would eventually grow, as she wouldn't forget it.
For Kupitman, quitting his sober life is like a second birthday, and must be special — so, he must celebrate it with his best friend, Bykov, and give a special speech. Unfortunately, Bykov doesn't share his enthusiasm and spoils the mood with his mockery. After kicking Bykov out, Kupitman tries to find someone else to drink with. Semyon refuses him, so he tries to ask Phil, second closest thing he has to a friend. But Phil insists on being appointed his deputy first: once Kupitman gets wasted, Phil would clean after him; this spoils the mood further. Kupitman then tries Lyuba, but she ruins "romantic" atmosphere by bringing cucumbers and starting loudly chewing them, constantly interrupting his speeches. Kupitman gives up, and just asks Gleb to celebrate with him, somewhere outside of the hospital. Later, Bykov decides to check on Kupitman to make sure that everything is okay, only to find out that they separated (Kupitman was against Gleb inviting his girlfriend). Bykov then receives a call from Lobanov: they received a drunk hobo who's not shutting up about "venereology, the queen of medicine". After further search, Kupitman gets found in a local cheap pub — where he finally found the audience willing to listen to him.
Bykov learns that Kisegach gave Max a parking place to compensate for his one being "stolen", and gets angry: it once belonged to his bike, "Isolde", and thus serves as "her memorial", and doesn't belong to such wastes of humanity as Maxim! He even prepares a photo and flowers in (futile) attempt to make Kisegach take pity. Bykov then tries another scheme, and "gifts" Maxim his phone, which results in great embarrassment for Kisegach when she sends Maxim a message with her... plans for evening (revealing embarrassing nickname which Bykov gave her in process). Bykov, when asked, replies with "if I no longer need something, we may give it to Maxim, because it's how we do things now, right?". Enraged, Kisegach gives in to Bykov's demands and takes away both Bykov's phone and parking place from Maxim.
This episode provides examples of:
- Bait-and-Switch: When Gleb starts talking in the same Purple Prose as Kupitman before, it seems like Kupitman finally found the drink buddy he needs. Nope; Kupitman got offended by something yet again and leaved, Gleb makes this speech on his own initiative, likely as a mockery.
- Brick Joke: Alexei mumbles something about having sex with Sophia in hayloft in his "fever". Episode ends with Sophia having erotic dream about her and Alexei in the countryside on, yes, hayloft. She awakes with clear "what the hell was this?" expression on her face.
- Chekhov's Gun: Maxim presumes that Alexei tricked Sophia to care about him with fake pneumonia; he didn't. Later, Alexei exaggerates severity of his illness, and whispers about having sex with Sophia in his sleep, "programming" her into feeling sympathy to him. Judging from her seeing an erotic dream about Lyosha, he partially succeeded.
- Earn Your Happy Ending: After so many failed attempts to find a drinking buddy who would listen, understand and respect him, Kupitman finds a whole pub of them. Bykov even suggests to let him have fun for a little longer, since it may as well be his only chance.
- Get Out!: When Bykov interrupts Kupitman's speech the second time, Kupitman tells him to leave, now.
- Major Injury Underreaction: Alexei falls ill, with fever and bad cough? Nah, nothing serious, just needs some pills, and can go to work. Bykov later diagnoses him with pneumonia.
- Moment Killer: Whenever Kupitman tries to give his speeches about how this day is important for him, he always gets interrupted and his mood spoiled by someone. Bykov outright mocks him, Phil is more concerned with work, and Lyuba is too "close to earth" in both speech manner and her ideas (like using cucumbers with cognac, which she loudly chews, interrupting Kupitman's speeches); then Kupitman invites Gleb to drink somewhere outside of the hospital, only for Gleb to call his girlfriend, which kills the sense of intimacy and offends Kupitman enough for him to leave himself.
- Playing Sick: Played With. Alexei really has a pneumonia, in which Sophia doesn't believe, thinking that he simulates. But his condition suddenly worsening, to the point he may die right here and now is a lie: he realised that he can exploit his condition.
- Purple Prose: Kupitman's speech can sound very romantic and sublimely — had it not for him talking about returning to the life of an alcoholic. Bykov, being Bykov, doesn't miss an opportunity to mock him for it, killing all his mood. He later gives the similar speeches to other characters, only to being interrupted again.Kupitman: My dear friend, this event may be compared to a rebirth. My life has a meaning again, so long awaited foundation; my Yin and Yang have reunited at once... [Bykov interrupts him with alcoholism-related joke] Today, my long, exhausting marathon ends, and this amber-coloured liquid would be my finishing line, by crossing which I would cut off the dark part of my life, and spread my wings to start a new one... [Bykov makes another alcoholism-related joke, after which he gets told to leave]
- Off the Wagon: Kupitman's entire plot involves him preparing to "celebrate" the end of his sober life; the problem is, he can't find a good enough drinking buddy.
- Out-of-Context Eavesdropping: When Sophia sees Maxim visiting Alexei (but misses almost all of their discussion save for Max's speculation that Alexei tries to win some sympathy from Sophia by playing sick), she decides that they are in league and that Lyosha faked his illness. He didn't, though he indeed later tries to exaggerate his state, actually trying Max's scheme.
- Tragic Keepsake: Turns out that the parking place Maxim receives from Kisegach once belonged to Bykov's "Isolde". Bykov insists on keeping it free from anyone, so he would have at least some memory of "her". He doesn't react well when he learns that Maxim had took it.
