The plot of this episode, charting the mental decline of a veteran senator, played by Will Geer, is nearly identical to a subplot in The Seduction of Joe Tynan (1979), released nine years later. The film was written by and starred Alan Alda, who played a junior senator from New York, and its B-story involved a senior senator (played by Melvyn Douglas) whose mental decline is evidenced by his unconsciously speaking French whenever he is upset.
It is revealed that Hays Stowe has been a senator for three and a half years. It is further revealed he is a junior senator. The producers take great care not to identify which state Stowe represents, though the closing scene eliminated North Dakota from consideration.
Hal Holbrook (Sen. Hays Stowe) worked again with Peter Brocco (Sen. Bevan) in The Last Days (1976) and with Frank Maxwell (Sen. Brown) in The Unwilling Warrior (1975).
The Timeless Media Group DVD features a syndication edit of this episode that runs only 46 minutes.