Susan Misner, who plays a prostitute/pimp in this early episode, would later return in the role of a nun.
Actor Will Lyman (Roger Jameson) may be better known for his voice than his face, his resonant baritone voice having narrated many documentaries. Maybe most notably the PBS series "Frontline," "American Experience," and "Vietnam: A Television History."
The plot of 'Smothered' is loosely based on the murder case involving Pati Margello and her boyfriend Dean MacGuigan, his stepfather, and his mother Lisa Dean Moseley.
Tracy Howe has played three different roles over the course of the series:
- Episode 1.22 Tuxedo Hill (2002) - Declan
- Episode 1.20 Badge (2002) - Declan
- Episode 1.6 The Extra Man (2001) - Leon
- Episode 1.4 The Faithful (2001) - Declan
- Episode 1.3 Smothered (2001) - Martell
- Episode 1.2 Art (2001) - Martell
As mentioned in another trivia item--and in a disclaimer at the beginning of the episode--this story is based on a real-life event. The names of the characters in this episode and their corresponding real-life counterparts (shown in parentheses) follow: Priscilla Van Acker (Lisa [Dean, Chandor, MacGuigan] )Moseley); Dale Van Acker (Dean MacGuigan); Roger Jameson (Christopher Moseley); Lois Romney (Pati Margello); Becky Stark (Diana Hironaga [aka Kiane Lee] ); and Larry Falls and Billy Coffey (Ricardo Murillo and Joseph Balignasa). One account of the real-life event is presented in a "Vanity Fair"article: 'In Cold, Blue Bood'; Dominick Dunne; "Vanity Fair," April 30, 2008, 12:00am.