Septon Ray comments to the Hound that in all his days, he's "never seen a man swing an ax like that." Rory McCann used to be a lumberjack.
The first-ever screen appearance of 12-year-old actress Bella Ramsey as the 10-year-old Lady of Bear Island, Lyanna Mormont. Despite her youth and inexperience, Ramsey would go on to be widely praised as the season's breakout star for her scene-stealing performance as the fierce, no-nonsense young leader, as well as become the subject of countless internet memes lampooning the character's ferocity and intimidating nature (e.g. suggesting that the Wall was built by White Walkers to keep her out of the North).
The episode title refers to a speech given by Septon Meribald, a character loosely adapted as Septon Ray, in the fourth novel 'A Feast for Crows' about "broken men", conscripts in wars who desert and turn into bandits, wretched men living from one day to the next like animals. Writer Bryan Cogman stated, "[the speech] inspired the character and some of his dialogue. So the title of the episode is a nod to that speech." As often, the title apparently has additional meanings, also referring to the return of Sandor "the Hound" Clegane, who was literally 'broken' in The Children (2014), and the Brotherhood Without Banners, both wartime deserters. The episode contains more 'broken' men, such as Theon Greyjoy, Jon Snow and Edmure Tully.
Bear Island and Deepwood Motte appear on-screen for the first time in the show. Bear Island was mentioned as early as the pilot episode, as it is the home of Jorah Mormont. Deepwood Motte was first referred to on the show when Yara Greyjoy got orders to invade it in What Is Dead May Never Die (2012). Although Glover mentions bitterly that Robb never came to his aid, this is not completely true; in The Old Gods and the New (2012), Robb was fully willing to return North to deal with the ironborn, but Roose Bolton offered to send his son Ramsey instead. Ramsay and the Glovers eventually retook Deepwood Motte together off-screen in Home (2016).