Rumours goes about Alexei's affair with Rita, and now Kupitman warns him that if Bykov finds out about it, it would end badly for Lyosha. While Alexei tries to assure him that there's "nothing serious" between them, Kupitman states that Bykov wouldn't care. Meanwhile, Lyuba calls Rita out on not telling her about her "affair" with Alexei, and Rita tells her the same that Alexei has told to Kupitman: there's no "affair" between them (and that one time they had sex, Lyuba was the first one whom she'd told about it). Unfortunately, it's too late to just stop the rumours, unless they would distance from each other and let people forget about them. Later, when Bykov angrily scolds him for a screwup, Alexei remembers Kupitman's words, and assumes that it's Bykov's reaction to his affair with Rita; Gleb doesn't even try to deny it: as long as Bykov keeps thinking that they're in relationship, Lyosha would suffer. After that, Rita tries to talk with Alexei, but he avoids her, fearing that going near "Bykov's woman" would spark his wrath. What's worse, her attempts to catch him only confirms everyone's suspicions and rises everyone's interest. She tries to stop the rumours, but it only causes them to evolve, and now people think that Alexei had slept with Rita out of pity. Rita continues hunting for Lyosha even after that, and as he continues running from her, their situation goes more and more awkward, culminating in Alexei hiding in a restroom for a long time, seemingly cutting off the pursuit. Obviously, this "show" makes their situation number one rumour in the hospital, and evolves the rumours into "the nurse harassing a young doctor". Alexei, tired of this, goes to Bykov to end all this; and no serious talk can be done without vodka. Bykov reluctantly agrees... and, when he learns why Alexei is doing this, gets surprised by his idiocy, and punishes him with a floor cleaning. Unsurprisingly, Kupitman's advices ends up being completely untrustworthy yet again; Kupitman is just jealous, as he failed to hit on Rita himself. But now, when it's clarified... Alexei must pretend that he's indeed in relationship with Rita: it's the only way to stop the gross rumours about them; when, and only when they stop, she would let him go.
Olga wants Gleb to somehow give Semyon two tickets to a new musical she wants to adhere. She can't do it herself, because Semyon is a notorious cheapskate, and wouldn't react well if he learns that they costs 10K roubles. Gleb does as asked, and gifts the tickets to Semyon, stating that he received them as a gift himself, but has no use for them due to being busy, but Semyon can use them to win Olga's favour (a rare opportunity!). And then Semyon announces to Olga that... he would stay on a night shift today. Since Semyon took the tickets, but never told to Olga, she assumes that he's possibly cheating on her with someone, whom he invited instead of her. Gleb doesn't believe this, and suggests to ask Semyon himself. When asked, Lobanov reveals that... he'd sold the tickets to Kupitman for 8K, and thinks that it was a "good deal". Now he must somehow convince Kupitman to give them back, while Gleb would buy him more time by saying to Olga that Semyon prepares a surprise for her. But Lobanov fails to retrieve the tickets, as Kupitman now plans to adhere the musical by himself, and only finds one speculator who demands nearly twice the original price for just one ticket (on the worst place possible). Gleb forces him to just accept the offer while he still can. He then tricks Olga into going by alone, and escapes himself, to which Olga obviously reacts negatively. When cornered, he reveals the truth, and says that the reason he acted like this is him trying to preserve money by any means, as they need them for their daughter, and Lobanov is yet to pay bank loan; Olga forgives him.
This episode provides examples of:
- Bad News in a Good Way: Rita's ill-fated attempt to catch Alexei and explain the situation to him starts several rumours. When it goes particularly bad, Lyuba tells her "great" news that their "affair" now now rumour number two in the hospital (number one is two lesbians from Pulmonology). As the rumour continues to evolve, it becomes the most popular one, about which Lyuba informs Rita just as enthusiastically.
- Bait-and-Switch: Semyon clumsily tries to say something important. He wants to invite her to watch the musical, as was planned? Nope, he tells her that he's gonna stay on a night shift, which clearly indicates that plan went wrong, and Lobanov did something unexpected.
- Crazy Jealous Guy: According to Kupitman, Bykov acts like any girl whom he ever dated, no matter how long ago, forever considered to be his "property", and he would react appropriately to anyone trying to "claim" them — and that Alexei's affair with Rita would end badly because of this. This isn't true, but Bykov's actions fits this theory so perfectly that Alexei presumes that this is. Later he actually tries to "apologise" before Bykov, and learns that Kupitman just lied to him out of jealousy (he was rejected by Rita before).
- Cutting Corners: Semyon is so cheap that, when Gleb "gifts him with the tickets and outright suggests to invite Olga to watch a musical to make her happy, he... sells them to Kupitman (actually cheaper than their initial cost), and even considers it to be a "good deal". When he learns about their real cost, he feels more concerned with Olga spending 10K on "stupid tickets" than, you know, letting down his wife. This backfires horribly, because now Olga thinks that he just invited someone else, and he must somehow obtain replacement until the evening. Since Kupitman wouldn't give them back, it wouldn't be easy. Or cheap.
- Drowning Our Romantic Sorrows: Realising that he has no other way to tell Bykov that he did not try to "steal" Rita from him, Alexei invites him to make some talk over vodka... only to learn that there's no "love triangle" after all, and Bykov punished him over something completely unrelated. In fact, the part about Bykov considering his exes being his "property" is utter bullshit... like the most of Kupitman's theories and advices.
- Epic Fail: Alexei did ultrasound test for only one kidney of his patient. When Bykov points out that people normally have two, he tries to defend himself by stating that this guy has just one... which turns out to be exactly the wrong thing to say, because Bykov points him to a clinical history, where this information doesn't exist, meaning that Alexei either lied to his face or just missed the second one during the test.
- Fake Relationship: To suppress the rumours about her lusting after (twice younger) Alexei, Rita forces him to pretend that they are a couple, until people would lose interest in spreading rumours about them (then, they may part their ways).
- I Need a Freaking Drink: When rumours about her and Alexei evolves into her actively harassing him, only thing Rita can say to Lyuba is to ask her for cognac (or, better, pure alcohol).
- Internal Reveal: Alexei learns about Rita being Bykov's ex. Considering that rumours are going about Alexei's affair with Rita, it can cause some... problems with Bykov if he finds out.
- I'll Pretend I Didn't Hear That: When Alexei, right in front of him, puts a bottle of vodka on the table, rather shocked Bykov says to him that if Alexei just puts this away and leaves now, he would pretend that he never seen this. But Alexei has different reason to do it than just wanting to get wasted.
- Jerkass Has a Point: After Semyon only re-obtains one ticket (for nearly twice the original cost of two tickets, and only for balcony), he tricks Olga (whom he never warned about this) into going by herself (by saying that he would go smoking a little, only to run away at the last moment). When later he gets called out on this, he states why he acts like this: he has a wife, a little daughter and a bank loan, so he must preserve the money whenever possible. This borders on his usual excuses, but his points aren't exactly wrong. At least, Olga (secretly) reveals that she likes this attitude: it means that Semyon isn't hopeless.
- Mistaken for Cheating: Since Semyon didn't refuse the tickets, yet never invited Olga to go on the musical, Olga starts assuming that Semyon may have someone else whom he may invite instead of her. Truth is much simpler: Semyon, being the cheapskate he is, tried to sell them.
- Never My Fault: Semyon states that it was Gleb's fault that he sold the tickets, and that had Gleb warned him that they were bought by Olga, he wouldn't do it. Gleb counters it by pointing out that he all but blatantly stated how Semyon may use the tickets to please Olga, and that him immediately rushing to sell them was so illogical, no one could have predicted it.
- Out of Focus: Sophia is absent from this episode.
- Sore Loser: Why Kupitman lies to Alexei that Bykov considers his exes being "his property", and forbids everyone from trying to hit on them? He does this intentionally, as a petty revenge on him succeeding where he failed (he tried to flirt with Rita, too, but was rejected).
- Stepford Smiler: Rita's smile when she pretends to being in a happy relationship with Alexei is glaringly fake — and somewhat creepy.
