Takes place on and around December 8, 1987
Philip watches "The Garage," a 1979 Soviet satire of Communist bureaucracy. While it was not censored outright due to director Eldar Ryazanov's popularity and connections, it was quietly suppressed for a time. Under Gorbachev's program of glasnost, it was re-released to enormous public response.
INF is short for Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty.
START is short for Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty, which centers on larger offensive weapons.
The documents Elizabeth is photographing are part of a genuine policy document from the Reagan White House: National Security Decision Directive 288, titled "MY OBJECTIVES AT THE SUMMIT", dated November 10, 1987.