Bykov still refuses to accept Gleb back, but Gleb sees a good sign: if Bykov puts a show out of it, it means that he still cares; and if he still cares, Gleb can just play along and earn forgiveness by begging, trying to please him, etc — what he was doing during the four years he spent working under him. Gleb proceeds with his plan, and tries to convince Bykov to take him back, with methods ranging from pathetically begging to requesting the other the other people to ask for mercy on his regard, or even outright silly ones, like using disguise or putting a show. But Bykov is stubborn and merciless. Then Kupitman goes to Bykov, and tells that they both knows that he's gonna agree in the end: Gleb is fun to toy with, he's already accustomed to Bykov's humour and ruling style, he's masochistic (otherwise, he wouldn't want to return), and he's useful to manipulate his mother. Bykov agrees that it's all true, but he's not angry at Gleb; he's angry at Anastasia, who started blatantly disobeying him, conspiring behind his back, and meeting with her ex-husband Victor, despite knowing that Bykov can't stand him. The sole reason why Bykov still refuses Gleb is because Anastasia never came to apologise and accept his authority. Meanwhile, Kisegach gets called by Victor, who asks her how things are going with convincing Bykov; when he learns that Bykov remains stubborn, he tells her that they're just humiliating themselves for Bykov's sick amusement, and if she can't convince him, Victor would do it himself. Victor comes to Bykov, dressed like a clown, and mockingly tells him that he just brought "the king" his crown. Bykov goes to Kisegach, but she says that it's exactly what Bykov had set up: a circus, entire purpose of which is to please him. She's not gonna play along with it anymore, regardless of whether Bykov accepts Gleb back or not. Later, she gets visited by Victor, who tells the results of him analysing the situation. Gleb can't be a good doctor, but it would take too much time to train him as a businessman... but he can be both, by becoming Anastasia's deputy and help her with her papers; they already knows that he's better with that than with people.
Rita wants Lyuba to go with her and help her prepare a wedding dress. Lyuba tries to refuse, saying that Kupitman may make the wrong assumptions, and, given his age and health, suffer a heart attack or something; they prefer to not raise the topic of marriage at all. She recommends to take Polina, but Rita refuses her, stating that she's young and inexperienced, and thus, isn't critical enough. She suggests to just keep Kupitman in the dark; Lyuba isn't gonna marry yet, so what's the point of making him nervous without a reason? Lyuba agrees. In the shop, the consultant suggests Lyuba to try something on her own, which she reluctantly accepts... and actually finds a fitting dress. Rita convinces her to buy it while she has a chance, for future use. Lyuba shows the dress to Polina (who finds it beautiful), but then they gets interrupted by a sound of glass shattering. When they checks, turns out that someone just broke a bottle near the door... the bottle of cognac. When Lyuba tries to check on Kupitman, he acts angry, and now Lyuba fears that he may snap into another alcohol binge. But Polina comes up with a plan; she with Rita defuses the situation by stating that this isn't a traditional wedding dress, and since Kupitman already saw the bride in it, for the wedding she would need a new one anyway, that's a tradition. This helps to calm down Kupitman, who even compliments Lyuba for good choice.
Levin calls Alexei out on making a stupid decision which could've caused serious damage to his patient if not for Levin noticing. Alexei tries to explain to him something, but Levin refuses to listen and keeps yelling insults at him, only interrupted by Lobanov entering; turns out that it was his patient, and Levin has avoided yelling that in front of him by sheer luck. But Alexei, who was unfairly insulted, now wants Levin to tell the same to Lobanov's face; when Levin tries to refuse, he calls that double standard, and insists on them going together. But Levin still fails to gather enough courage when he sees that Semyon is angry (because of Levin, he wasted much time searching for the clinical history). Levin says that it's just "not the right moment", and asks Phil to help him with preserving authority. Phil goes with Lyosha towards on-call room, while explaining how clinical history from Venereology ended up in the Therapy, and comes just in time to hear Levin (loudly) calling Lobanov out on his stupidity. But then the real Lobanov shows up, confirming that it was staged. Alexei (while holding his laugh) tells Semyon to not enter, but he does that anyway, just in time for Levin to call him a moron. Alexei accuses Levin of cowardice, as it's now clear that he's too afraid to tell to Semyon's face what he's thinking of him. It hits Levin hard, and, after imagining the future where Lobanov would continue abusing him to their last day, he decides to confront his fear, and (after taking off glasses), tells Semyon that he's not afraid of him, and hits him in the nose with his head — only to faint when seeing blood. He apologises afterwards, and says that he's just following Semyon's own advice: to show his strenth. Lobanov takes offence at that: it means that Levin still considers him a dumb grunt who can't understand words, despite them knowing each other for years. The situation seemingly gets better when Lobanov assures him that they can trust each other, and that Levin just has to get more confident and learn to tell about problems directly, but Levin ruins the moment by ill-thought comment, and decides to leave when situation becomes too awkward.
This episode provides examples of:
- Bait-and-Switch: When Levin and Alexei are discussing Levin being afraid of Lobanov, the camera always shows Levin's face in such a way as to conceal that he's black-eyed after Lobanov hearing being insulted by him. In the end, Levin's face gets revealed to have no injuries, he's just ashamed to show Lyosha his face, as he's still scared. It's a foreshadowing of what would happen when Levin would actually confront Lobanov — that Semyon is no longer the brute who hits people in the face at first provocation... but Levin thinks that he is.
- Character Development: Lobanov is certainly better with self-contorl than he used to be; he resists hitting Levin in the face regardless of what Levin says to him, or even when Levin hits him first; but Levin is the same jerk with low opinion on everyone as he used to be.
- "Could Have Avoided This!" Plot: Semyon, when he learns what had started the conflict, tells Levin that he was perfectly able to just tell about this to his face, Semyon is mature enough to take the criticism, and they're friends.
- Gilligan Cut: Lyuba stubbornly refuses to try wedding dresses. Cut to her doing exactly that.
- I'm Standing Right Here: Lobanov enters on-call room just in time to hear the last part of Levin's monologue, where he calls him a moron.
- Lethally Stupid: Lobanov prescribed the laxatives to a patient with bowel obstruction, which might have injured him even further if not for Levin finding out.
- Moment Killer:
- Levin and Lobanov seemingly have a bonding moment, restoring their friendship. Then Levin ruins everything by ill-thought comment.
- Invoked by Victor when he and Anastasia are standing on the bridge, drinking wine and discussing life, only to be confronted by two cops (it's illegal to drink alcohol in public places, excluding those which explicitly allows it). Victor asks one of them how old he is, and when the cop replies that he's twenty seven, Victor says that before the cop was even born, he and Anastasia had a date here, in that same place; they have a son of the same age as the cop, and yet it's the first time in years when they can just talk to each other. And cop just ruins the moment. The cop and his colleagues just silently leaves.
- Not What It Looks Like: Lyuba, on Rita's insistence, has bought a wedding dress, "for future". While showing it to Polina, she gets seen by Kupitman, who panics as he's not ready to risk a fourth marriage yet. But Lyuba doesn't plan to marry yet, either, exactly to avoid the situation like this.
- Open Mouth, Insert Foot: Lobanov seemingly fixes the issue by reminding Levin that they're friends, and the two comes at peace, but then Lobanov jokes about Levin becoming the next Head of the Therapy, with Lobanov as his right-hand man, and Levin says that he didn't plan to put Lobanov into that position. Semyon (still friendly) says that it's a good sign, Levin just learned how to refuse him, starting with something small, but then Levin says that it was not a joke, and completely ruins the moment.
- Overly Long Gag: Montage of Gleb's failed attempts to convince Bykov to rehire him, some are outright silly.
- Paper-Thin Disguise: Since Bykov isn't gonna hire back Gleb, Semyon asks whether he may hire "[his] friend Grigori". Cue Gleb entering on-call room with fedora hat, sunglasses and fake moustache. It works as well as may be expected.Bykov: Tell that mister with a hat that he looks like a moron. And I don't need another one, I have you, Semyon Semyonovich.
- Poor Communication Kills: Rather than re-reading the clinical history, or asking Alexei whether it's his patient first (both would reveal that not — and prevent the plot from starting), Levin starts screaming at him and throwing insults, giving him no chance to explain.
- Refuge in Audacity: Soon after comparing Bykov's behaviour to a circus, Victor visits him while dressed as a clown, and puts a show for him, mocking his overblown ego, then gives him a mock "crown".
- That Came Out Wrong: Levin rushes into Phil's office, and in near panic says that he needs his help, immediately. Of course, it gets interpreted as Levin having, ahem, rather delicate kind of problem.
- What the Hell, Hero?: Lobanov gets even more offended when Levin tries to justify him hitting Lobanov by him "just following Semyon's advice — to show force first": it was the method of dealing with dumb grunts, who can't understand words; does Levin consider Semyon to be one? They know each other for years, did Levin actually believe that they can't just talk and resolve the issue?
