Parker comments that having a dead body tied to a U.S. Senator means they could have another "Chappaquiddick-type dealio". He is referring to an incident that occurred with Senator Ted Kennedy, younger brother of President John F. Kennedy, on July 18, 1969 that resulted in the death of one of his campaign workers. That night Senator Kennedy and Mary Jo Kopechne, attended a party being held on Chappaquiddick Island, Massachusetts and left together around 11:30 PM in Kennedy's car. Kennedy was driving too fast (and possibly intoxicated) when he rounded a corner on a dirt road that led to a narrow, one-lane bridge; he claimed that his intent was to drive to the ferry that goes to the mainland and that he turned down the dirt road on accident. He lost control of the car on the bridge and it skidded off the bridge and into a pond, leading to Mary's death by drowning. Kennedy was able to swim free from the car and maintained that he attempted to free Mary from the car but was unable to. Kennedy then left the scene of the accident and did not report it until 10 AM the next morning, after the police had already found the car and Mary's body. Kennedy was charged with leaving the scene of an accident, he pled guilty and received a suspended sentence; a January 1970 judicial inquest determined that Kennedy intentionally took that dirt road and lied about intending to head to the ferry and that he was "operating his vehicle negligently, if not recklessly". No additional charges were filed, however the incident had a major impact on Kennedy's political career. Prior to this incident Kennedy was the favorite for the Democratic Party nomination for the 1972 Presidential Election, but the scandal from this incident cost him a lot of support and he did not enter the race; Kennedy did run in the 1980 Democratic primaries but lost to Jimmy Carter. A film about the incident was released titled Chappaquiddick (2017).
Another NCIS Star Trek reference - the name of the dead Navy member is Amanda Grayson which is also the name of Spock's human mother in Star Trek. Also very similar to "Amanda Graystone" in Caprica, the followup series to Battlestar Galactica by Star Trek alum Ronald D. Moore.
AMSR stands for Autonomous sensory meridian response, a tingling sensation that usually begins on the scalp that runs down the back of the neck and spine, it can also cause aesthetic chills (goosebumps) on the skin. It is described as a low grade euphoria with a static like tingling sensation. For some it is triggered by a sound, like someone whispering in their ear, it can be erotic and sexual, like getting goosebumps and an electric tingling sensation down the spine by being lightly touched, especially by a lover. It is not always sexual in nature though, for some people it is triggered by the sound of whispering (any whispering), other people report it happening from quiet, repetitive sounds like pages turning in a book, or waves lapping on a shore. Some report experiencing ASMR when watching certain mundane tasks like brushing hair or preparing food, others from hearing sounds like paper being crinkled or typing on a keyboard.
Similar to the previous episode Anne-Marie Johnson also had a recurring role in JAG as Rep. Bobbi Latham.
"Detective Grizz" is a spoof on McGruff, the Crime Dog - a cartoon character introduced in 1980 that makes public service announcements to educate citizens on ways to reduce crime. Like Detective Grizz, McGruff also wears an overcoat.