Levin offends Lyuba by introducing her to his friend as his "big sister" (instead of his girlfriend), and now needs Kupitman's help. Kupitman suggests him to be more persistent and "show Lyuba her place". However, it causes Lyuba to break into tears, forcing Levin to apologise. It's when Levin realises that he's better not trust Kupitman's advices in general.
Lobanov overhears that Kisegach needs to redecorate her office, today, and save as much money on it as possible. He offers her to hire gastarbeiters
he just so happens to know. Unfortunately for Lobanov, the people he mistakes for migrant workers, ends up being highly educated people, who gets offended by such assumption. He then hires two... questionable people from the nearby construction site. This almost works, but he mistakes their actions for a stealing attempt, and attacks them, leading to them refusing to work for Semyon any further (and not returning his money, since they now requires medical attention). Lobanov attempts to do all the work by himself, and, surprisingly, succeeds.
Varya entrusts Gleb with her story. Gleb, actually, is her second love; first one dumped her after their first night, which almost resulted in her committing suicide (it only failed because she used the non-lethal pills by mistake). Gleb suggests her to wait some time, so they can be sure that this love is real and not repeat the same mistake. Lyuba thinks that Varya must be more active, and invite Gleb on a date first to test his seriousness; while Gleb himself is afraid to start serious relationship if the stakes are that high, so he tries to get punished and stay on night shift (thus gaining good excuse to skip it), unaware that Bykov had a bet with Kisegach that he wouldn't punish Gleb no matter what (and thinks that Gleb is screwing up on purpose, as he's in league with his mother). Ultimately, the plan works anyway when Kisegach herself busts him gives him night shift. Varya overhears her discussion with Bykov, and learns that Gleb was trying to sabotage their date all this time, which makes her think that Lyuba was right. But when she confronts Gleb about this, he tells her the real reason: he was afraid not of her, but for her. That's when the two finally kiss.
This episode provides examples of:
- Big Damn Kiss: The episode ends with Varya and Gleb kissing each other once Gleb confirms that his behaviour was due to him fearing for Varya, not himself.
- Book Ends: Levin's plot starts when he meets his old friend at the cinema and introduces Lyuba by her position rather than as his girlfriend, which, without context, makes it sound like she's his big sister (which offends Lyuba). At the end, when Lyuba meets her friend at the cinema where Levin invites her to apologise, introduces Levin as intern from her hospital.
- Broken Bird: Varya shares with Gleb her story; her first love dumped her after their first night, which led to her attempting suicide (it only failed due to her being ill-prepared and using the wrong pills); since then, she's afraid to try any relationships, with anyone. She tells this to Gleb because she trusts him to be her second love.
- Cutting Corners: Kisegach doesn't like the prospect of paying 10K for renovation (especially if it would be done two days later, while she needs it today). Lobanov offers to invite his "familiar worker brigade" for 6K, but actually hires (or, rather, tries but fails) just two people, whom he offers only 3K, lying that it's "good money". When they refuse (offended by him thinking that they're some laborers), he tries to hire two others, who accept the job, but demand at least 5K. The second group also notices that Lobanov only provided them with paint, but not the new sockets, meaning that they have to pay for them themselves.
- Exact Eavesdropping: In the end, Varya overhears Bykov and Kisegach's discussion and learns about Gleb trying to sabotage their date, and now thinks that Lyuba was right all along. She only forgives Gleb when she hears his true motives.
- Gone Horribly Right: Gleb's plan how to postpone upgrading relationship with Varya to the next stage nearly results in her dumping him for good.
- Am I Just a Toy to You?: Varya finally confronts Gleb about his attempt to sabotage their date; does he really care about her, or he simply wants sex, and this was his escape attempt from a "mad, suicidal woman"? Gleb tells her that yes, he really cares about her; he simply feared that he can potentially hurt her. This convince her that their love is real.
- Ironic Echo: When Lobanov angers the second group of workers to the point that they quit, he tries to at least ask them where to find the sockets. They tell him the same thing he told them when hiring: that he can find the sockets at the store.
- Jerk with a Heart of Gold: Gleb, out of worry for Varya's well-being (he knows that he's too unreliable, and is afraid to get her hurt if they would break up later), suggests to not rush things and test their feelings first. When Varya (following Lyuba's advice) pushes for a date, he tries to sabotage it, as he thinks that neither of them is ready to take their relationship on next level.
- Laser-Guided Karma: Lobanov makes Kisegach hire him to renovate her office for 6K, but then tries to find the workers who would do the job for just 3K, meaning that he can take the other 3K for himself. They refuse (as he assumes two random people being migrant workers just from their ethnicity alone, which they finds offensive), forcing him to hire two other people who only agree to work for 5K... and then he alienates them due to his idiocy, forcing him to finish the job by alone and with only 1K as budget, which he has to spend on actually doing the job, meaning that he earns nothing from it.
- Lysistrata Gambit: Kupitman thinks that Lyuba punishing Levin by withholding sex for one month is her "training" him to become obedient future husband. He suggests to be more persistent with his demands, and never, ever apologise before women. This behaviour, however, makes Lyuba break into tears, forcing Levin to apologise. That's where Levin realises that he shouldn't trust Kupitman's advices in general.
- Mistaken for Thief: Semyon's second attempt to hire two guys from construction site fails because he mistakes them removing things from Kisegach's office for them trying to steal them (in truth, they were just moving the furniture), and attacking, after which they quit.
- Open Mouth, Insert Foot: The way Levin introduces Lyuba, in Russian may either mean her position of head nurse, or her being his older sister; naturally, it gets taken as the latter, offending Lyuba, and now Levin has to somehow make Lyuba forgive him.
- Poor Communication Kills: Gleb tells Semyon that construction site, the people he'd hired are allegedly working at, is stuck in perpetual limbo. With that in mind, he takes them moving the furniture out of the office for them stealing it. However, had he simply bothered to ask where they're moving it, he would've found that they're just transferring it to other room within hospital. Instead, he attacks them, which makes them quit in protest (without returning the money).
- Secret-Keeper: Varya entrusts the story of her first love to Lyuba (infamous gossiper). Meanwhile, Gleb, whom she also told this story, entrusts this to Semyon (infamous dumbass. Now, Lyuba thinks that Gleb would certainly dump Varya; and Semyon suggests to do exactly that. But both keep the info shared in secret.
- Shout-Out: When Kisegach yells at Gleb, Bykov mimics Donald Duck's signature speech manner.
- Springtime for Hitler: Gleb spends the day trying to screw up so badly that Bykov would leave him on a night shift, so Gleb wouldn't need to go on a date with Varya (as he's not sure that they're ready to serious relationship). He consistently fails to achieve this, as Bykov had a bet with Kisegach that he wouldn't punish, insult or overwork Gleb no matter what. He only gets that night shift when Kisegach herself busts him, but that's when Varya overhears them and nearly dumps Gleb for good, thinking that Gleb is the same as her first boyfriend.
- Spurned into Suicide: Varya had attempted suicide when her first love dumped her after their first night. She survived because she used non-toxic pills by mistake.
- Stereotype Flip: Lobanov tries to hire two patients to do a renovation, thinking that they're "gastarbeiters"; turns out that, despite belonging to the ethnicity most commonly associated with cheap unqualified laborers, they're actually highly-educated people (one of them is a professor of ornithology, another is a member of Oxford scientist society) and find such assumptions offensive.
