The press release for this episode only mentioned the plotline of Lisa joining the Boy Explorers and competing against Bart, which appeared at the beginning and the ending of the episode. This was to keep the hacking plotline a surprise and catch viewers off guard.
A couple of scenes reference popular Simpsons fan theories. Eddie is revealed to be Ralph's real father, which became a theory due to their similar appearance. Another scene reveals that the show was all a coma dream from when Homer fell down the Springfield Gorge as seen in Bart the Daredevil (1990), referencing the theory that the show has been a coma dream since So It's Come to This: A Simpsons Clip Show (1993).
Couch gag: The couch is seen as a Scrabble tile holder with tiles that re-arrange multiple times until they spell "Couch Gag".
During the segment of awful scenes that never made it to air, several clips from previous episodes that are generally disliked or are considered disturbing were shown too.
Among Homer's cannibal feast, an 'asserole' can be seen.