Sophia plans to make a new tattoo (big, aggressive panther on her loin), despite all Rita's and Lyuba's attempts to talk her out of it, stating possible bad consequences (Rita) and just how silly she would look (Lyuba). She ignores them. Kupitman learns about Sophia's plans, and panics: when her parents would find out, this would end badly for both of them. He then asks her whether she's that certain that tattoo masters would be... well, "masters", not some random back-alley half-wits, who would embarrass her, him and their whole family. This fails to convince her, as she's that desperate to for once go against her family's strict rules. Sophia actually does the tattoo... a small rose on her ankle. Turns out that tattoo master (after witnessing just how scared she was of his needles) himself talked her out of doing that aggressive tattoo she wanted initially, stating that it wouldn't fit her fragile, sensitive nature, and suggested something else. She then explains the "symbolism" of that rose, which makes Kupitman angry (while Lyuba and Rita bursts into laugh).
One of the doctors, surgeon Dmitry Vasilyevich, asks Kisegach for new operating table. Despite previously stating that they can't afford it, she agrees... and it turns out that it was Bykov who suggested him the right time: as Anastasia's husband, he knows when she is or isn't in the mood; in return, Bykov gets two VIP tickets for hockey match. Kisegach, meanwhile, ceases being happy with not being bothered, as she realises that people who normally asks her for things, goes to Bykov instead. Bykov, when asked, says that it's just people showing their trust, but she remembers how earlier Bykov "subtly" mentioned how Surgery needs new operating table, and asks him whether he's trying to "usurp" her power. He states that he doesn't, only to start just as "subtly" programming her to buy new gear for dentist (who already promised him his own gifts).
Maxim thinks that Kisegach dislikes him. To mend their relationship, he tries to gift her flowers and apologise for the incident with Bykov's passport, but gets no reaction. Alexei suggests him to just leave Kisegach alone, but Max instead tries to gift her candies. When it fails, too, he tries the same scheme which once worked for him at school: pretend to be in love. But she soon realises what he's trying to achieve, and suggests him a deal: spy on Bykov and prove that he's scheming against Kisegach. Fortunately, Alexei knows someone who can help them: a couple of kids who previously annoyed Lyosha by "spying" on him (they even have a videocamera attached to toy helicopter). They overhears Bykov suggesting to lay low, and confronts him. He says that this scheme started when Anastasia was on maternity leave, and keeps going because it frees her time and energy; plus, the presents Bykov receives goes straight to the family! The argument falls flat, and Bykov asks to at least reveal who's the snitch, with her immediately dropping Maxim under the bus, which costs him ten night shifts.
This episode provides examples of:
- All for Nothing: Maxim, after multiple failures, tries to mend his relationship with Kisegach, only succeeds at restoring it back to indifference... and wins Bykov's wrath, because Kisegach without qualms reveals his involvement when asked, resulting in him receiving ten night shifts.
- Bait-and-Switch: Two kids are playing "spies", and wants to "spy" on Alexei. He tells them that he doesn't want to see them again... because good spies never gets caught.
- Be Yourself: Sophia thinks that she needs a tattoo to show that she isn't a "nerd", and actually is a free-spirited modern girl. Rita thinks that she already is, and needs no tattoo to show it, while Lyuba outright considers tattoos to be "moronic". After them, Kupitman tries to appeal to the fact that tattoo master may just turn out to be incompetent and embarrass her with terrible tattoo she didn't want. Neither one of them succeeds at convincing her, because she just doesn't want to be herself anymore: she's that tired to being a quiet, modest rule-abiding grey mouse, and wants to do something she wants, for once.
- Call-Back: Maxim states that Kisegach's cold treatment of him is caused by her still being angry at him for that incident when he stole Bykov's passport to get into internship (she then almost kicked him out on the spot). Alexei, in the same conversation, also mentions that time when they stole furniture from Gynaecology (also on Maxim's initiative), only to get busted.
- Chekhov's Gun: In the episode where Sophia tried to find a "new image", Sophia mentioned plans to make a tattoo. She didn't forget about it, and now decides to actually do it, kickstarting her plot.
- Chekhov's Gunman: Those kids (who at one point deployed a toy helicopter-attached videocamera) spying on Alexei at first seems to be just some random gag not relevant to the main plot, but then their skills gets requested by Maxim (who was tasked by Kisegach to spy on Bykov, whom she suspects of scheming).
- Embarrassing Tattoo: When Rita (who appealed to how silly it would look in old age) and Lyuba (who appealed to how silly it would look, period) both fails to convince Sophia to not do that tattoo, Kupitman then states that she's not sure whether her tattoo master would be, well, "master", and that it's possible that they would botch their work; cut to Imagine Spot with Kupitman revealing swastika tattoo on Sophia's back. This actually scares Kupitman himself much more, and Sophia has to calm him down.
- A Glass in the Hand: When Kupitman waits for Sophia (who still decides to make this tattoo even after all his attempts to talk her out of it), he's so nervous, he accidentally breaks a pencil in his hand.
- Hopeless Suitor: Invoked by Maxim; he thinks that people in (unrequited) love looks "cute" and forces others to feel pity and/or sympathy towards them, so the best way he can win back Kisegach's sympathy after angering her so many times before is to act like he fell in love with her. This plan somehow worked several times in the past (including one time with school teacher), but when he tries it on Kisegach, she recognises his actual goal after third attempt to gift her something, after which she hires him to spy on Bykov (who plays his own game).
- Immediate Self-Contradiction: Just after Bykov tells Kisegach that he never tried to manipulate her into buying new operating table for the Surgery, he starts similarly "subtly" programming her to buy new equipment for dentist.
- Occam's Razor: Maxim thinks that Kisegach treats him so coldly due to still being angry for that time when he stole Bykov's passport from her. Alexei thinks that she's just irritated by Max bothering her constantly with his attempts to "please" her.
- Product Placement: Yet another "subtle" advertisement for "Snickers", this time a full vending machine with their logo.
- Serious Business: Sophia getting tattoo is treated as very reckless, dangerous or even outright moronic decision by anyone whom she asks (Kupitman overreacts the most, but his case is at least excusable by him fearing that he would be blamed for it by Sophia's parents, who're very strict).
- Stealth Insult: When Maxim asks Alexei for help, his attempt at flattery sounds more like insult than compliment.Maxim: Sometimes, crude methods just work the best.
Alexei: You need my help not that much, I see.
