Tobias is seen with a copy of Moby Dick, the book about a legendary white whale.
The Shadow Board, is similar to the The Commission in the New York Mafia, or a Board of Directors in a Corporation. A Board provides oversight on behalf of the shareholders, to determine if a Chief Executive Officer is helping the company become profitable through his guiding hand. The Commission on the other hand was composed of members from New York's five most powerful families. Its purpose was to minimize conflict so that neither their potential revenue stream would not be harmed or would it invite unnecessary attention from law enforcement.
This episode is dedicated to the memory of Amanda Davis, who played Joan Lincoln. Davis was primarily a news anchor who died suddenly of a stroke at the age of 62.
The original title for this episode was "The New Norm".