Sean Murray plays Dr. Walden's son Danny starting with this episode and 5 others in 2000-2001. The same actor would play 'Special Agent Timothy McGee' on the JAG (1995) spin off NCIS (2003) starting in 2003.
The true frigate, FFG-19, representing the fictitious USS Stanley Dace, is a frigate named in honor of Cdr. John Anderson Moore, USN, a submarine officer, who, in World War II, received citations for multiple events of "extraordinary heroism". Moore died in 1945 while serving as the Commanding Officer aboard USS Grayback (SS-208) during its final patrol. No vessel of the US Navy bears the name of Stanley Dace, although there have been two submarines named USS Dace (SS-247 and SSN-607), named for a North American fresh-water fish of the carp family. One real Stanley Dace was a chief boatswain's mate who led the survivors during the sinking of USS Underhill (DE-682) in action against the Japanese Navy in 1945.
This episode appears to have taken a cue from the heated controversy about Elian Gonzales, a Cuban boy, which had taken place earlier in 2000. The dialogue contains several references to the boy by name.
Sean Murray plays Danny Walden in this and 4 more episodes. He previously played Ensign Terry Guitry on Innocence (1998).