When Castle recaps "1001 Arabian Nights" for Esposito, Ryan, and Lanie, Lanie comments "It's a story about a misogynistic serial killer?". Nathan Fillion actually played a misogynistic serial killer, the priest Caleb, in the last five episodes of Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997).
At the end, Beckett challenges Castle for various things he might have wished for, including a teleporter. Actress Denise Crosby who played Dr. Marion Baker also played the role of Lieutenant Tasha Yar and Sela on Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987)
The victim, Lars Cross, could be have been named as a male version of another treasure hunter- Lara Croft.
John Ducey playing Mark and Jon Huertas playing Esposito both appeared in Sabrina the Teenage Witch (1996) but didn't share scenes together.