The NASA footage Devlin screens during the real estate presentation is of Neil Armstrong and 'Buzz' Aldrin during the Apollo 11 mission. Royce's divorce and other personal difficulties are similar to those Aldrin suffered followed his return from the Moon. When McGarrett meets the member of Royce's mission who stayed in lunar orbit (Michael Collins' role on Apollo 11), the ex-astronaut's grandson is called Buzz.
McGarrett tells Stan Richmond, "How the mighty have fallen!". This famous quote is from the Holy Bible, when David laments over the death of King Saul and his son Jonathan.
McGarrett's tie is uncharacteristically loosened when he is questioning Royce at the scene of Ramon's murder.