There are several references and homages to works of HP Lovecraft, whose short story "Pickman's Model" was the inspiration for this episode. The octopus crawling on the severed head at the dinner table is a reference to Cthulhu, Lovecraft's best known creation, and the head bears resemblance to Lovecraft himself. Also, the name Lavinia is an allusion to Lavinia Whateley, one of the protagonists of "The Dunwich Horror," and the branch-like symbol some characters carve on their foreheads is the Elder Sign, described in "The Dream Quest of Unknown Kadath" and sometimes depicted in Lovecraft's letters as a glyph of protection.
The students attend Miskatonic University which has its origins in the H.P. Lovecraft universe. This episode is based on a Lovecraft story.