Thursdays with Abie/References

Cultural references

 * The title is a parody of "", a novel that had a starring Hank Azaria, and whose author, Mitch Albom, guest stars in the episode.
 * The title screen gag is a spoof of The Wizard of Oz.
 * The Hollywood stars seen departing the train are Jimmy Durante, Shirley Temple, W. C. Fields, James Cagney, Laurel & Hardy, and Boris Karloff as Frankestein's Monster.
 * The song in the background of Abe's flashback is "Chattanooga Choo-choo" by Glenn Miller.

Trivia

 * The license plate Marge takes a photo of is "MABF02", which is the production code for the episode.
 * When Flanders shows Homer the Newspaper, The picture of Abe resembles the Internet Meme 'Awesome face'.
 * Marshall Goldman's laptop is a Mapple computer, a company which has been seen before in a few other episodes.

Goofs

 * In the scene where Carl and Lenny lowered Homer onto the train, Lenny is shown without his five-o-clock shadow.
 * Oliver Hardy's moustache disappears in one frame