This was the last episode to feature Scarlett Pomers as Kyra until she returned at the beginning of season 6. Pomers temporarily left the series after this episode was filmed to seek treatment for anorexia nervosa. Despite her absence, she was still credited in the opening titles for the entire fifth season.
The Econostar "Hal" is, of course, a direct reference to the HAL 9000 from 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968).