In the toy store flashback at the beginning of the episode, regulation footballs are on aisle 8 and Nerf footballs are on aisle 15, referencing Oceanic flight 815.
The title of this episode comes from the Latin term "Deus ex Machina" ("God from the machine"), which stems from early theater and refers to a new plot device, such as a person or object, that suddenly arrives and conveniently resolves a seemingly unsolvable problem, usually during the denouement of a play to ensure a happy ending.
Sawyer reads A Wrinkle in Time in this episode. This classic by Madeleine L'engle is a wild adventure through space and time to rescue loved ones trapped by evil forces.