Cold Case

The Jones Family appears to be modeled in spirit and action on the Weather Underground, a radical faction that emerged from Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) in 1969, taking its name from a lyric in Bob Dylan's Subterranean Homesick Blues. The group advocated violent overthrow of the government and establishment of proletarian dictatorship. They were most publicly associated with acts of domestic terrorism (principally bombings and arson fires) between 1969 and 1974.

Title: Blood on the Tracks The episode is named after Bob Dylan's 1975 album which is widely considered among his best. In addition to this, there are also other Dylan references in the episode: One of the college friends was named Tom Zimmerman; Zimmerman is also Dylan's real last name. Jack Kimball's wife was named Johanna; Visions of Johanna is a song from Dylan's 1966 album Blonde on Blonde.

The Big Chill This episode seems to be an homage to Lawrence Kasdan's 1983 Best Picture nominee The Big Chill. There are several parallel elements present, such as the classic rock soundtrack, a group of college friends who gather years later to find that some of them have had political changes of heart and are growing apart, and even the death of a member(s) of the group is the catalyst for the action.

Lt Stillman: (to his grandson) What do you got there? Sean: (shows him an action figure) Avatar Aang. He can bend air. Avatar Aang is the main character in the American-made but Asian-influenced animated action/fantasy series Avatar: The Last Airbender.