Madge Sinclair was suffering from leukemia at the time of production. She was first diagnosed about 10 years earlier and, at the time of production, had already far surpassed doctor's expectations for survival. She would live another 26 months after this show aired and die at the age of 57.
Although they play father and son, Ben Vereen is just a little over ten years older than LeVar Burton.
The initial idea had Riker in the virtual-reality suit, troubled by the death of his father, and seeing scenes of the Alaska cabin where he grew up. This was changed because Riker had gone through several similar mind trips and existential crises in the 6th season, and also the logic of using Geordi's VISOR implants.
Madge Sinclair had an uncredited role in Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (1986) playing the unnamed Captain of The Saratoga.