The normal Law & Order story arc is broken in this episode. Rather than the usual crime, arrest, and prosecution, this episode presents the detectives working a shift involving four separate homicides, including one they roll up on while working another case. No court scenes are shown (other than arraignments)--although EADA Ben Stone, ADA Claire Kincaid, and DA Adam Schiff are shown in some scenes.
An unusual feature is a ticking clock prior to main scenes. The times shown begin at 6:39:58 AM and end at 6:34:20 PM.
The nerdy man with the "Buddy Holly glasses" will be picked up again in two linked episodes of two Law & Order franchise series episodes: Entitled (2000) Part 1, and Entitled (2000) Part 2.
This episode appears to be based on several actual cases:
- The 1981 murder of James Weber by David Bullock (a.k.a. "The .38 Caliber Killer").
- The 1907 Bertha Boronda case.
- The 1993 Lorena Bobbitt case. On June 23, 1993, Bobbitt's relationship with her husband John Wayne Bobbitt made worldwide headlines when Lorena cut off her husband's penis with a knife while he was asleep in bed. Lorena claimed that her husband cheated on her. At some point after her husband had come home and gone to sleep, Lorena got out of bed, went to the kitchen, grabbed a knife, entered their bedroom where John was sleeping, and removed his entire penis at its base. After this, Lorena left the apartment with the severed penis and drove away in her car. After a while, she opened the car window and threw it into a field. After realizing the severity of her crime, however, she stopped and called 911, and John's penis was found after an exhaustive search. After 9-½-hours of surgery, his penis was successfully reattached in the hospital where he was being treated. Meanwhile, Lorena was arrested. Later during her trial, the jury found Lorena not guilty due to insanity causing an irresistible impulse to sexually wound John. As a result, she could not be held liable for her actions. Under state law, the judge ordered her to undergo a 45-day evaluation period at Central State Hospital, located in Petersburg, Virginia, after which she would be released. In 1995, after 6 years of marriage, John and Lorena divorced.
- The episode appears to be also inspired by the 1975-1977 Son of Sam murders. The killings of the young people in cars by a nerdy man is similar to those cases where a nerdy, awkward man named David Berkowitz shot teenagers to death in cars. (He was arrested by Detective Bill Clark, who would later write for the series NYPD Blue (1993).)
- The 1968-1969 Zodiac Killer case. The shooter's wearing of horn-rimmed glasses and the unjust blaming of Scott Hexter for the murder could be a reference to where suspicion was placed on the alleged suspect Arthur Leigh Allen.
- The 1989 Leslie Torres case. Torres is an American spree killer who, in the period from January 1 to 8, 1988, attacked 11 people in the East Harlem neighborhood of Manhattan. Five people died from the attacks and six were left severely injured. He later turned himself in and confessed to the crimes, of which he was convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment. At the time of the crimes, Torres was 17 years old, making him one of the youngest recorded spree killers in American history.
Jamie Tirelli has portrayed four different characters over the course of the series:
- Episode 1.12 Life Choice (1991) - CSU Rivera.
- Episode 3.22 Benevolence (1993) - Chick Sullivan.
- Episode 4.17 Mayhem (1994) - Santana.
- Episode 10.17 Black, White and Blue (2000) - Sgt. Palacio.