This is the first episode in which the Bajoran Occupational Government is mentioned. It was previously implied that the Cardassians simply eliminated the Bajoran government altogether during the Occupation of Bajor. The Ilvian Proclamation, which sentenced all collaborators to exile, is also revealed.
Quark states one of the Ferengi Rules of Acquisition (#285) to be; "No good deed ever goes unpunished." A line attributed (here on Earth) to Oscar Wilde.
This was the final episode of DS9 to air during the run of Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987). The TNG finale, All Good Things... (1994), aired between this episode and the next one Tribunal (1994). In late 1994, DS9 was the sole carrier of the Star Trek franchise, until the debut of Star Trek: Voyager (1995) in January 1995.
This marks Camille Saviola's (Opaka) first appearance since her character chose to remain in the Gamma Quadrant.
Gary Holland's original idea involved an elderly male Bajoran who had been living on Cardassia for many years and who wanted to return home to Bajor. It is thought this Bajoran has some kind of dark secret, and Kira is assigned to find out what it is. At first, it seems the secret may be the man murderered Kira's father. It later transpires the actual murderer is in fact his daughter, and he is covering up for her.