When this episode aired, John Ritter who plays Paul Hennessy had already passed away. He died on September 11th, 2003, and the episode aired on September 23rd.
The actress who plays Mary Ellen Doyle in this episode is not the same actress who played the character in the first season.
In the final scene, Rory was playing a guitar and singing "I gave my love a cherry that had no stone." Kerry grabs it, smashes it to pieces, hand it back to him, and says Sorry. Just like the scene in Animal House, where Bluto (John Belushi) did the same thing to a beatnik who was singing the same song.
Mary Ellen Doyle is played by Cindy Williams in season two after the role was first originated by Shelly Long in season one. Both actresses are television legends, Long for Cheers and Williams for Laverne and Shirley.