Along with several visual elements that make an homage to Rear Window (1954) (such as Reese being confined to a wheelchair, the suspected villain digging in a rose garden, the use of a camera to observe neighbors), the character of John Reese leases the apartment using the name "Mr. Hayes". John Michael Hayes wrote the screenplay for "Rear Window".
David Zayas says to Reese: "It seems like yesterday I was partying till dawn down in Miami." This is a direct nod to the Show Dexter (2006), where Zayas plays Detective Batista who was known to party till dawn.
When Finch eats at the restaurant where Lily is working, Reese calls him on the phone and greets him with "Good afternoon, Mr. Finch." just like Finch usually greets Reese. This is an allusion to the roles of Finch and Reese being reversed in this episode.
When Finch explains how the Machine works, he mentions the bombing of a Jewish community center in Buenos Aires in 1994. The so-called AMIA bombing occurred on July 18, 1994 killing 86 people and wounding several hundreds.
The apartment Finch rented for Reese is located in The Apthorp, a historic apartment building and New York city landmark at 390 West End Avenue. The Apthorp's apartments have also been used for some scenes set in the fictional "Arconia" in Only Murders in the Building (2021), which also has the unusual design feature of a central courtyard.