When Hopper (David Harbour) and Joyce (Winona Ryder) go into Jane's room, there is a framed illustration of the White Rabbit from "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland", a story that centers around a child falling through a portal into an alternate world full of strange and magical things.
The 1973 Ford Pinto Sheriff Hopper (David Harbour) drives is an homage to the protagonists in Stephen King's "Cujo"; the mother and child are forced to defend themselves from the dog after the vehicle stalls out.
When Troy (Peyton Wich) pulls the knife on Mike (Finn Wolfhard) and Dustin (Gaten Matarazzo) it is reminiscent of Stephen King's "IT", when the bully uses his switchblade to carve his initials on one of the kids. Finn Wolfhard (Mike) later played Richie Tozier in the film adaptation It (2017) and its sequel It Chapter Two (2019).
This episode takes place from November 11 to November 12, 1983.
Adam Boyer (Hunting Store Owner) and Kevin L. Johnson (Young Victor Creel, Season 4 episodes 4&7) 7 both have recurring roles in Ozark, however they do not share any scenes together in either show.