During the opening credits, characters that have died in the show appear with halos above their heads. (Frank Grimes and Maude Flanders)
This is the only episode besides "The Incredible Lightness of Being a Baby" where Bart doesn't have a single line of dialogue. This leaves Homer the only Simpson family member to speak in all the episodes.
(at around 7 mins) The license plate on Marge's station wagon reads "EP7G08", which is a reference to the Simpsons episode production code and specifically to the first Simpsons episode ever (7G08), 1989's "Simpsons Roasting On An Open Fire".
First appearance of Laney Fontaine, a character inspired by Broadway legend Elaine Stritch.