In conversation with Jordan, Jack quotes from Stephen Sondheim's 1981 musical, "Merrily We Roll Along": "It's called thieves get rich and saints get shot. It's called God don't answer prayers a lot." The musical is about the fortunes of a writer and a producer in Hollywood.
This episode's show-within-a-show guest host Rob Reiner directed "A Few Good Men" and "The American President," two of Aaron Sorkin's first three screenplays, (the 3rd being "Malice," co-written by Scott Frank, which Reiner produced but did not direct) while Sorkin was under contract to Castle Rock Ent., Reiner's production company.
In this episode it is revealed that Jordan has an ex-husband who took her to sex clubs. This was likely inspired by custody documents between U.S. Senate candidate Jack Ryan and Jeri Ryan that were unsealed in 2004.
The Guest Host, appearing on screen, was Rob Reiner. The Guest Musical Act, not appearing, was Gwen Stefani.