This story seems to anticipate several elements of The Silence of the Lambs (1991). Dr. Zito's escape resembles Dr. Lector's escape, and the restraint Dr. Zito keeps Thorton in looks a lot like what Lector was kept in at one point of the movie. The interesting thing is that movie wouldn't be released for another three months.
Although it's strongly implied that there will be another return of Dr. Zito, it never happens.
This was another episode that had some Halloween themes since it was aired two days before Halloween.