Though he had played the role numerous times on this series and played it again on Law & Order: Criminal Intent (2001), New York Undercover (1994) and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (1999), this was the first time J.K. Simmons appeared as Dr. Emil Skoda since 2004, six years earlier.
The lyrics about "Screw all 53 states" is a toned-down version of lyrics from the Insane Clown Posse's "Fuck the World."
Inspired by the 2009 Farmville murders in Virginia. Samuel McCroskey was involved in the horrorcore scene, and developed an online relationship with fellow fan, Emma Niederbrock. They made plans to meet and attend a horrorcore festival in Michigan, along with Emma's friend Melanie Wells. While at the festival, McCroskey became jealous when he discovered Emma was texting other boys. Back in Farmville, he killed Emma, Melanie, and Debra as they slept. When Emma's father came to check up on them a few days later, McCroskey killed him as well. Wells' mother reported her daughter missing, leading the police to find the bodies. McCroskey had already fled, and was arrested at the airport while waiting for his flight home to California.
Kevin O'Rourke has portrayed six different characters over the course of the series:
- Episode 1.12 Life Choice (1991) - Kevin Donovan
- Episode 5.7 Precious (1994) - Marty Willick
- Episode 7.16 Turnaround (1997) - Deputy District Attorney Jerry Weiss
- Episode 10.7 Patsy (1999) - Det. O'Malley
- Episode 15.9 All in the Family (2004) - Granado's Defense Attorney
- Episode 16.11 Bible Story (2005) - Stan Malloy
- Episode 19.22 The Drowned and the Saved (2009) - Amato's Attorney
- Episode 20.13 Steel-Eyed Death (2010) - Amanda's Attorney
Kevin Geer plays the father of a girl who claims to have amnesia. In The Billfold Syndrome (1978), he plays an Army medic that also claims to have amnesia.