Michael Nesmith doesn't appear in this episode proper, although he appears in the music video for "Love Is Only Sleeping" and the "Sunny Girlfriend" romp.
Shah-Ku tells his disciples "Cowards die 1000 deaths, the brave man only 500." This is a parody of a line from William Shakespeare's Julius Caesar, Act 2, Scene 2: "Cowards die many times before their deaths; The valiant never taste of death but once." Meredith Willson's 1957 Broadway play The Music Man uses a similar spoof, spoken by con man Harold Hill.
Mike is not seen except for in edited portions from "Case of the Missing Monkee" which was part of the "Sunny Girlfriend" romp, as well as the song "Love Is Only Sleeping."