The film Top Gun (1986) is mentioned in dialogue towards the beginning of the episode. Later, during the final shot of this episode, the song "Take My Breath Away" by Berlin is played which is a notable song from the Top Gun soundtrack.
When Jake accuses Hitchcock and Scully, they respond with the phrases "witch hunt" "fake news" and "sad!" which Jake sarcastically describes as "the language of the innocent." All three phrases have been used by former United States President Donald Trump in response to allegations of wrongdoings.
Begins with a flashback to 1986, and the overall 80s noir-style of the scene, including the sultry jazz saxophone underscoring, is highly reminiscent of the Lethal Weapon (1987) franchise.
When Jake figures out what happened to the missing duffle bag he says "These two contain. . . Multitudes". This is a reference to the Walt Whitman poem "Song of Myself" in which the author talks about being a contradiction of himself, or a type of paradoxical nature.
Jake mentions The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles several times and later tells his grandfather he watched the reboot. Alan Ritchson who plays young Scully in this episode was in the reboot as Rafael.