At one point, Benson quotes to Stuckey "When you hear hoofbeats, think horses, not zebras". This is a famous medical aphorism credited to Dr. Theodore Woodward, from which the episode gets its name; "zebra" is medical slang for arriving at an exotic or extravagant diagnosis, when a more commonplace explanation is more likely.
The character Gwen Munch (Carol Kane) originated on Homicide: Life on the Street as the ex-wife of John Munch (Richard Belzer) John discovers on a cross over with Law & Order that Gwen had an affair with Lennie Briscoe (Jerry Orbach) after he and Gwen were divorced.
This is the first of two episodes of the entire series to air in the month of June. The next time this happens for the season twenty-two finale, Wolves in Sheep's Clothing (2021), which aired eleven years and one day later.
Kevin Carolan has played three different roles over the course of the series:
- Episode 18.17 Real Fake News (2017) - Ronald Fleming
- Episode 10.22 Zebras (2009) - Paul
- Episode 3.5 Tangled (2001) - Officer Farlow
Det. Tutuola (Ice-T) says "They're Skells". Skell refers to a person who is homeless, vagrant or derelict. It is often used to describe such a person who is habitually engaged in small-time criminal activity. The term originated in the 1960s, in New York, USA. The term has been used in several American TV shows, by police officer characters.