During the graduation ceremony in 1938 the Badge is pinned on to William Reese by Lieutenant Battle. Lieutenant Samuel Battle was a real person. He was the first African American to join the New York City Police Department. The time line of events match real life events; Lt Battle made the rank of Lieutenant in 1935.
In the graphic novel, a circus strongman, Rolf Müller is suspected to be Hooded Justice, but it is never confirmed. This masked vigilante is the only hero who retired with his true identity not revealed by the end of the comic.
The comic book William Reeves is shown at the newsstand in 1938 is Action Comics #1, famously featuring the first appearance of Superman, the prototypical costumed superhero. Comic book superheroes became a mainstay in American pop culture in the real world, while in the Watchmen universe early comic book heroes inspired people to fight crime as "costumed adventurers". As their real life stories made the fictional version seem mundane, superhero comics died out in the Watchmenverse and pirate comics took their place.
The movie screening at the Capitol Theater when the riot breaks out is The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (1947), setting the scene in 1947.
The episode won 4 Emmy Awards for Outstanding Cinematography for a Limited Series or Movie, Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Limited Series or Movie, Outstanding Sound Editing for a Limited Series, Movie or Special and Outstanding Writing for a Limited Series, Movie or Dramatic Special.