Based on the 1957 boy in the box case which is still unsolved. In December 2022 the case advanced significantly when the boy was identified as Joseph Augustus Zarelli. The case is still on-going/resumed.
Detective Stabler is shown to still be recovering after being shot by Kyle Ackerman in the previous episode (Raw (2005)), and thus his arm is in a sling throughout this episode.
This is the first episode in which Dann Florek does not appear. Prior to this, he was the last remaining actor to have appeared in every episode of the series since the pilot. Mariska Hargitay's streak was broken in the previous season episode Parts (2005).