This episode is dedicated to Treat Williams (1951-2023) , who died in a July 2023 motorcycle crash at the age of 71. Williams, who plays Bill Paley in this series, was also known for roles in movies such as Hair (1979), Prince of the City (1981), Smooth Talk (1985), and The Deep End of the Ocean (1999), as well as the TV series Everwood (2002).
The Christopher Street Pier, or Pier 45, is located on the West side of Lower Manhattan. The area was well-known for the practice of "Cruising ", where gay men would have sex with random strangers.
Interferon is a protein naturally found in the body that inhibits viral replication, once used to keep the growth of cancer in check.
Ed Koch was the mayor of New York City from 1978 to 1989. Though he remained publicly closeted until his 2013 death, rumors that he was gay were common even during his political career (homophobic supporters of his opponent in the 1977 mayoral election often appeared at his campaign events with signs reading "Vote for Cuomo, Not the Homo"). CZ also makes a disparaging comment indicating that inviting him to the party would turn it to a Bar Mitzvah ( a rite of passage for young Jewish boys), which represents the genteel antisemitic tendencies that pervaded her social set even then.