During filming, Tim Russ accidentally punched Patricia Tallman (who was doubling Nana Visitor) in the face during a fight sequence. Tallman noted that "everyone on the set freaked out, but I said, 'No, don't stop! That was really good - it looked very authentic!' So we finished the fight there and then."
Tim Russ makes his second Star Trek appearance in this episode. The first was in Starship Mine (1993). He would go onto appear as an Enterprise-B bridge officer in Star Trek: Generations (1994) and as Tuvok in all seven seasons of Star Trek: Voyager (1995). He also appears as Tuvok in some of DS9's "Mirror Universe" episodes, though he's never called by name.
Robert Hewitt Wolfe says that this show was created because the producers wanted to convey to the audience the idea that not every single Trill was joined, that it was actually extremely difficult to get a symbiont. This, in turn, offered a commentary on the Jadzia character insofar as she was someone who did become joined.
This is the second episode in a row after "The Siege (1993)" wherein most of the crew is evacuated from the station, while Quark is left behind and Rom receives passage.