After Kisegach's attempt to learn more about new interns' successes (specifically Sophia's, who seems to be smarter than Max and Lyosha) was derailed by Bykov, who interpreted it as "subtly hidden jealousy", Bykov and Kisegach makes a bet: whether an intern can fall in love with Bykov, or not. Under excuse that "good doctor must be good at everything", Bykov forces his (new) interns to test their grammar, by writing the love letters under his dictation, addressed to Bykov. He takes Sophia's one and goes to claim his victory. Kisegach suspects that he's cheating, but has no proof and is forced to accept defeat. But she doesn't give up just yet, and asks Kupitman to verify Sophia's signature. Kupitman initially sticks with Bykov's version, but instantly turns on him when learns that Bykov lied about true size of the prize to pay him less. When searching the on-call room, Kisegach finds the "love letters" from Maxim and Alexei, and realises that those were written on Bykov's orders. But Bykov vehemently denies being a cheater, and insists on asking interns themselves. Kisegach tries Bykov's method, and forces interns to write insulting letters towards Bykov, but Lyosha refuses. Bykov still insists that technically he'd won, since their bet didn't specify that the letter has to be from Sophia; and he wouldn't pay anything to Kupitman, as he'd betrayed him (that, and Bykov ultimately had won without him).
Gleb, Semyon and Phil have a binge in on-call room — just like in old days — but on the next day, Bykov sees the mess they've created. Bykov is in unusually happy mood and ignores them, but they knows that they wouldn't be so lucky next time, and have to clean it up before afternoon. When they still fails to do so, but Bykov ignores them again, they takes it as a sign that he now considers them his equals. But when Kisegach tasks Gleb to bring Ilya's old toys to the Paediatric department — he no longer needs them, as he has new ones — Gleb realises that Bykov just doesn't care about his old interns: he has "new toys" to "play with". And it feels insulting, as, their conflicts aside, Gleb does respect Bykov as a specialist! Semyon and Phil are perfectly fine with Bykov's indifference at first, but when they realises that he doesn't care not just about bad things, but about the good ones, too, sides with Gleb. What else they can do? Get drunk again, of course.
Maxim starts mocking Sophia with a quote from old Soviet movie, Gardes-Marines, Ahead!
, which suggests that she and Alexei could be just made for each other; Alexei actually quickly agrees with him, while Sophia... didn't even watch it (which surprises both guys), and finds the joke stupid and unfunny. Alexei and Maxim names several other old movies, only to realise that Sophia doesn't know almost any of them. She, in turn, names several European movies which she knows, and they don't (she, particularly, states Antichrist as her favourite). Alexei, to make a peace, suggests that they would watch each other's favourite movies, to which she agrees. But when Sophia tries the movie suggested by the boys, she feels that it's extremely boring to her; when Kupitman arrives, who actually knows and likes it, she suggests to just rewatch Antichrist (especially since Kupitman didn't see it before). Meanwhile, Alexei and Maxim tries to watch Antichrist, but gets disgusted by it (especially Lyosha), and decides to rewatch what they like — Gardes-Marines.
This episode provides examples of:
- The Bet: Bykov has a bet with Kisegach that an intern would fall in love with Bykov. Bykov decides to cheat by simply forcing interns to forge love letters.
- Chronic Backstabbing Disorder: Kupitman sides with Bykov in hope to get money when he wins his bet. When Kupitman learns that Bykov lied about true sum he may win (to pay Kupitman twice less), he backstabs Bykov and reveals the plan to Kisegach. When Bykov still wins due to a quirk in their bet, he tries go back to him and ask for "his money", lying that he was covertly on Bykov's side all along, Bykov calls him Judah and refuses to pay, stating that he'd won without his help, and thus not obliged to pay him.
- Exact Words: How Bykov ultimately wins his bet with Kisegach despite both Sophia and Maxim (Alexei refused, considering it to be offensive for his mentor, whom he genuinely respects) wrote new letters, with exactly opposite meanings to those they wrote for Bykov before? By reminding Kisegach that their bet involved declaration of love from an intern, not from Sophia specifically, despite her being initial reason why they even started the bet in the first place. And since Alexei refused to take back his original "love letter"... This is also why Bykov refuses to give Kupitman the money he promised him: they specifically discussed Sophia, but since Bykov'd won because of Alexei, not Sophia, Kupitman's involvement's value just dropped to zero (not to mention his betrayal).
- Imagine Spot: When Kisegach asks Gleb to bring Ilya's old toys to the Paediatric department (he has new ones, and isn't interested in old ones anymore), Gleb realises that Bykov's indifference to screwups of his old interns is caused by him having new ones; cue the scene with Bykov throwing away some toys with Gleb's, Phil's and Semyon's faces (a bear, Mickey Mouse and donkey, respectively), only to grab new ones, with faces of Sophia, Alexei and Maxim.
- No Sympathy: While Semyon and Phil are perfectly okay with Bykov stopping caring about them, Gleb finds this indifference insulting, since he, under all hostility on the surface, does respect Bykov. Bykov technically being Gleb's stepfather does not help matters. Semyon and Phil are fine with this, but realises that Gleb is right when Bykov ignores Lobanov talking about his daughter, and Phil asking for help with difficult case.
- Oh, Crap!: On the next morning after wild binge he had with Semyon and Phil, Gleb realises that they overslept and Bykov would enter at any moment, busting them with the whole mess they've made, and friends starts collecting empty bottles in panic. Fortunately for them, Bykov is too concerned with other things to care.
- O.O.C. Is Serious Business: When Bykov doesn't react to Gleb, Semyon and Phil failing to clean up the mess after wild alcoholic binge in on-call room (instead of tear their heads out for this), Semyon instantly realises that something is wrong. Phil assumes that Bykov just has good mood. But later, when this strange behaviour repeats (as they still failed to clean up everything), they jumps into conclusions that Bykov have switched his wrath at new targets, now seeing ex-interns as his equals — only for Gleb to realise that it's simply because he no longer cares about old interns.
- Popcultural Osmosis Failure: Sophia's, Alexei's and Maxim's plot starts due to Sophia being unfamiliar with classic Soviet movie, Gardes-Marines, Ahead!:
- When Maxim starts referencing the movie, in order to mock Sophia (Sophia's and Alexei's names matches the names of the movie's characters), Alexei quickly catches up with the joke and starts playing along — while Sophia mistakes it for some new joke from the internet. When directly asked, she reveals that she never watched it — in fact, everyone besides her in the the Therapy already watched it, as it turns out when Maxim and Alexei tries another pranks based around this movie.
- Still not believing that Sophia is that ignorant of the classics, Max and Lyosha mentions several other famous Soviet movies (amongst them Kin-Dza-Dza!), only to realise that Sophia knows neither of them (okay, she knows one movie, The Diamond Arm). It turns out, though, that she knows many well-known European movies, which they don't know (stating the Antichrist as her favourite). Alexei actually admits tat she has a point, and suggests that they would watch each other's favourite movies and end their conflict. In the end, neither side likes what the other suggested, and just decides to rewatch what they likes.
- Refuge in Audacity: Even when Kupitman turns on him and Kisegach obtains the fake "love letters" from Maxim and Alexei, Bykov tries to insist that she didn't prove that Sophia's one was fake, too.
