John Leguizamo previously portrayed Tubbs' nemesis Orlando Calderone in Sons and Lovers (1986) and The Afternoon Plane (1987).
Stan tells Baker they had been in Idaho. Idaho is a state known as the home of various paramilitary groups, some of which are heavily armed and potentially dangerous. It might be noted that after the series, Michael Talbott retired from acting and would later set up a business selling guns and making gun training videos, and is well-known to such groups.
The off-kilter architecture and chiaroscuro (contrast of strong light and intensely dark shadows) in the opening sequence are a tribute to The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920). This is appropriate both because the film's warped reality reflected the unease in Germany at the rise of the Nazi movement and because the film featured an unlikely killer who had been conditioned to destroy his victims, much like Kozak's daughter.
Xander Berkeley appears in this episode as a detective after appearing as a music executive in Like a Hurricane (1987), with the debut of character Caitlin Davies. Berkeley is one of many actors who appear multiple times in different roles in the series.
This episode marks Paul Guilfoyle's second appearance in the series, the first as director/painter Milton Glantz in Death and the Lady (1987). This is also the third time Guilfoyle appears in a Michael Mann television vehicle, having worked with the director on Hide and Go Thief (1986).