Prince Albert Victor, Duke of Clarence and Avondale (January 8, 1864 - January 14, 1892) was the grandson of the reigning monarch of the British Empire, Queen Victoria, and the second in line for the throne of England in the late 1800's. He was rumored to have sexual tendencies that were considered deviant at the time, including homosexuality and frequenting prostitutes. It was because of these rumors that some people (mostly amateur historians and serial killer fans) believed Prince Albert to be the notorious serial killer "Jack the Ripper". However military and royal travel documents show that Prince Albert was out of the country during the murders of the prostitutes in 1888 attributed to the "Ripper". Most reputable historians believe the rumors about his sexual proclivities and the rumors about him secretly being the "Ripper" were started by political rivals of the royal family, there was never any evidence that even remotely tied the Prince to the 1888 murders.
A deleted scene from this episode included a scene in which Detectives Elliot Stabler and Olivia Benson receive a promotion. Stabler goes up from Detective 2nd grade to Detective 1st grade, and Benson goes up from Detective 3rd grade to Detective 2nd grade.
This is the last episode of the series to air before the September 11 attacks. As a result, this is the last time the World Trade Center is featured in the opening credits.
The insurance company in this episode, All-Atlantic Life, is the same one at fault in Blood Money (1999).
The term "scourge" means "to burn", as religion has commonly made allusions to fire as a "purification" from evil and filth. The title refers to the first victim in the spree, who was set on fire, as well as the religiously paranoid overtones of the murders.