Eliot mentions Middle Earth whilst talking to Quentin. Middle Earth is a fictional setting of much of the English writer J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy work, several of which became the Lord of the Rings franchise. Mackenzie Astin who appears later in the show, is the real-life half-brother of Sean Astin, who played Samwise Gamgee in the movie franchise.
At the Alumni garden party, Aunt Genji is dressed in a similar outfit as Chevy Chase does in the attic scene from the movie, National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (1989): pink coat, green gloves, and a turban.
When talking about the dungeon Penny saw, Kady makes a Game of Thrones reference. Esme Bianco who is Eliza, played Ros in the TV show, Game of Thrones (2011).