The premiere had to be quickly re-written following Cote de Pablo's last minute decision not to renew her contract.
"Whiskey Tango Foxtrot" is part of the military alphabet code which spells WTF, which is a euphemistic abbreviation for a phrase containing a swear word.
This episode marks the first physical appearance of McGee's love interest Delilah Fielding. She was first mentioned in season 10 finale "Damned if you do".
Though she is in contact with Tony, Ziva does not physically appear in this episode. That marks the first episode since "Mind Games", Season 3 Episode 3, that Ziva does not appear. It's also only the second episode, again with "Mind Games", to not feature Ziva or Caitlin Todd.