V.M. Varga's (David Thewlis) hatred for fat people and belief they have no self-control, revealed during his rant about Sy's (Michael Stuhlbarg) overweight wife, offers a partial explanation for the bulimia he suffers from, as seen previously.
When Sy (Michael Stuhlbarg) visits Ruby Goldfarb (Mary McDonnell), the music playing is Piano Sonata No. 23 "Appassionata" 2nd Movement by Beethoven, which features prominently in the Coen Brothers' (Joel Coen & Ethan Coen) film The Man Who Wasn't There (2001). The film stars Billy Bob Thornton who also starred in season 1.
V.M. Varga (David Thewlis) first expresses his antisemitism in this episode. After Lorne Malvo (Billy Bob Thornton) in Season 1, he is the second Fargo villain to have antisemitic sentiments.
First appearance of Ruby Goldfarb (Mary McDonnell), whose casting is an indirect continuation of the Wolf theme for this season. One of Mary McDonnell's most famous parts is the film Dances with Wolves (1990).
The title refers to a house in Yekaterinburg in what was then the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic which was renamed The House of Special Purpose when it was turned into the final living quarters for Tsar Nicholas II, his family, their physician, and three household servants. It was in a basement of the house that they were all later executed.