Set in Long Island, New York. The town is called Southold in Long Island's Peconic Bay, but actually filmed in New Jersey. The pilot's beach footage was filmed in Island Beach State Park.
The lighthouse featured is the Barnegat Lighthouse, located in Barnegat Light on Long Beach Island in New Jersey.
Marks the second time Allison Tolman has played the main character as a police officer. The first time was as Molly Solverson on the first season of Fargo.
In episode 2, the secretary at the police station mentions a citizen had filled a report about his lawn gnomes being stolen. In the show Stranger Things, to which Emergence has been compared, a resident of Hawkins filed a report at Hopper's office about his gnomes being stolen repeatedly by pranksters.
Characters who are close to Piper wear a lot of blue (the colour that represents Piper) and green (Piper's favourite colour).