At the start of the episode when Cass is questioning a demon, the camera pans past an old photograph on the wall with a photo of a man and the writing "congratulations Mr Riley, fourth grade teacher of the year". The picture is of Matt Riley, who played a firefighter in season one's Devil's Trap (2006) and died in 2014. At the end of Season 10 Episode 10, The Hunter Games (2015), he was commemorated with "In Memory of Matt Riley 1971 - 2014"
The boys use the pseudonyms Inspector Moore and Ranaldo at the prison. This is reference to Thurston Moore and Lee Ranaldo, founding members of the band Sonic Youth.
The title of this episode refers to the 1979 Pulitzer Prize winning fact-based novel by Norman Mailer, about the crimes and execution of murderer Gary Gilmore. Gilmore was the first person to be executed in the United States since the death penalty was reinstated in 1976, after the United States Supreme Court suspended it in 1972.
When you see Sam look up Austin Reynolds information and birth certificate, his birthday is February 17th, 2003. February 17th is when the episode aired.
The Polunsky unit does house death row inmates and has a maximum capacity of 2,984 offenders. Some inaccuracies in this episode include offficers carrying night sticks (they carry chemical agents and handcuffs) and wearing a protective vest over their uniforms. The officers uniforms are also incorrect. The TDCJ patch is on the left sleeve and the American flag is on the right sleeve reversed. To display the American flag in the manner shown is a sign of disrespect. Also, they show a coffee maker with a glass carafe in the picket and wire coat hangers. These items would never be allowed on the unit as they could be used as weapons by the offenders. Dean and Sam presenting as representatives of OIG is accurate as OIG is immediately on scene in the case of escapes, injuries or death.