Seth,
I'm not sure if your dialog between Susan and Erin in the hallway was intentional regarding Susan's recollection of a photo of a woman with a deformed ear. I am a big fan of all your work, I binged this show in two sittings. But, sorry to say the reference to smoking while pregnant is not a known cause for a "popcorn" ear (otherwise known as microtia). Smoking while pregnant is never a good idea, but probably not the cause. It might be a good idea to shed some light on the subject, maybe a link to a very informative page earcommunity dot org If you know KISS guitarist Paul Stanley, he can fill you in on the birth defect.
Yours Truly
John
PS, will there be a second Ted mini-series? I'm still a fan, how about you bring Flash Gordon back?