This episode served as a "back door" pilot for a spin-off series starring Fred Dryer entitled "The Chief", but it was not picked up.
At the beginning of the episode, Sgt. Archer tells Police Chief Masters (Fred Dryer) "It works for me". This was something that Fred Dryer commonly said when he played Sgt. Rick Hunter on Hunter (1984).
Fans of the show were originally confused when Mark first sees the mysterious prisoner at the cliffhanger ending. That person was played by Dennis Lipscomb, who once before had played the crooked Det. Lloyd Schroeder, a cop that the Sloans did not help put in jail, as he was killed instead. Hence, the possible confusion on the viewer's part.