Edward James Olmos wore a ponytail and did not have his mustache in the opening scenes from Saigon. While the subject of Castillo's work in Southeast Asia has been mentioned several times on the show, this is the first time we have actually witnessed anything of it.
Like Back in the World (1985), this episode dealt with unresolved tension between the public and Vietnam veterans.
Castillo refers to a "KaBar" knife - the popular name for the Marine Corps combat knife, first issued in 1942; also known as the USMC Mark 2.
This is the second and last time that Castillo is stabbed in the line of duty. Previously, he was stabbed in the back by Laura Gretsky in Bushido (1985).
The featured part of former CIA Agent Felix Lawson was played by an uncredited Joel Goodman, who would go on to play two very different roles -that of the radio station bomber Carl Becker in Amen... Send Money (1987), and the artist Sigmar Motherlant in The Lost Madonna (1989). His later characterizations are quite different and may not be recognizable as the same actor to even many aficionados. Edward James Olmos was impressed with Goodman and suggested that he reprise his performance as Lawson as a continuing background character for Castillo, but Olmos' increasing dissatisfaction with the show following this episode ended his desire to get more involved with the show as a writer and director.