The filmmakers shot a scene with Dylan (Max Thieriot) sitting on the floor in the Bates' empty former-home calling Norma (Vera Farmiga). Their conversation was retained in the final cut, but only Norma's reaction is featured; Dylan remained unseen until the next episode. The slightly-longer alternate version of this sequence appears in the deleted scenes section of the DVD/Blu-Ray release.
When Norman (Freddie Highmore) is getting a box out of the car he sees Norma (Vera Farmiga) at the window, dressed only in her lingerie and gown. This references Psycho (1960) where he becomes a peeping tom.
Norma (Vera Farmiga) telling Romero (Nestor Carbonell) that the toilet in the motel bathroom does not work is another Psycho (1960) reference. In the movie, Marion (Janet Leigh) tears up her letter and flushes it down the toilet. The film was the first to depict a flushing toilet onscreen.
At the beginning of this episode, before Norman (Freddie Highmore) finds his father's body, photos of birds can be seen on the wall. This is a reference to the film Psycho (1960) as pictures of birds adorn the walls of the motel.
This episode was watched by 3.04 million viewers, making it the most watched episode of Season 1.