Medicine Woman (or Boob Lady) from the movie returns in this episode. According to Homer, she is his therapist.
Background scene with Medicine Woman includes patterns based on dutch graphic artist [C. Escher.]
Although it was hinted in previous episodes, this is the first episode that confirms that the Seymour Skinner that we commonly see is indeed Mrs. Skinner's birthson and not an imposter, and the first to outright retcon The Principal and the Pauper, in which we learn Seymour is truly an impostor.
There is, however, a possibility that the baby seen in Mrs. Skinner's flashback was actually Seymour Skinner (real), and nobody corrected her either because the penalty would be torture or they had gotten used to the new Seymour Skinner.
When Lisa is playing music for money she is actually playing her small portion of music from most of the opening credits/sequence.
When they win demonstration gold in mixed curling, Bob Costas announces it is the USA's first and only medal of the entire Olympics. But he had previously noted the USA was currently playing in sudden death overtime of the gold medal hockey game against Russia.
The US team won 36 other medals, including 8 more gold medals.
Homer's driver's license is set to expire on December 26, 2012.
This is the second time where Lisa wears a cap and a dress mostly made of pins. The first was Smart and Smarter.
In the title screen gag, the Simpsons are seen riding the title car from the film Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.
The song "Ghostbusters" is parodied in the Parade of Nations.
Curly Howard from The Three Stooges is parodied by other Curly look-a-likes at the "National Curly Trials" by trying to perform routines and hijinks from old Three Stooges shorts. Moe happens to be outside where they're at and he calls them "wiseguys" and he slaps all of them just like Moe Howard would do.
When Homer is evesdropping on Agnes discussing about taking him out of the team, the flags behind him are from Bahamas, Cameroon and Japan, respectivelly, but they change to Myanmar, Japan and Cameroon seconds later.
Music
Among the music heard in this episode:
Les Patineurs (Skater's Waltz) by Émile Waldteufel.
Bugler's Dream by Leo Arnaud
Lara's Theme from Dr Zhivago
Russian Dance from The Nutcracker by Pytor Illyich Tchaikovsky