Trilogy of Error/References

References/Trivia

Cultural References

The plot of this episode is based on the film Run Lola Run.
The innovative story telling style shown in this episode was also used in an episode of Malcolm in the Middle. The seventh episode of the seventh season ("Blackout") Involved the same series of events being seen from several different view points. The character of Thelonius is voiced by Frankie Muniz, who played the titular Malcolm.
The 2003 Patrick Swayze movie 11:14 is another example of this type of story-telling.
The 1999 film Go is another example of this type of story-telling, and elements from this film were even used in this episode such as when Rainier Wolfcastle smashed Marge's Car with golf clubs due to their ramming into his car by accident, which was based on when Jack Nicholson's character performs a very similar action to what Rainier Wolfcastle did.
Ned reads a modified book of Harry Potter where Harry and his friends go to Hell for practicing Witchcraft, which is a reference to how many individuals in organized religion dislike the Harry Potter series for their magic theme because of magic often being associated with the occult and satanism.

When Lisa is looking at the bus, one can see Milhouse sitting on it, even though he is with Bart.
During Lisa's segment time seems to move really quickly. When she leaves Thelonius she says it's 11am, but when she goes to Moe's Tavern a few seconds later it's noon, and then when she is at Dr. Nick's it is 2:45pm.
Time during Bart's segment seems to move even faster: When they Fat Tony and his gang found out that Bart was wearing a wire it was noon, and when Bart gets hit by the truck Marge and Lisa stole from Cletus it's almost 3pm.
In Bart's segment, Bart counts two of his keys as the same one.
In Lisa's segment, Homer gets drunk as soon as Lisa leaves the tavern, showing time goes very quickly.
Rod and Todd Flanders are seen at home in Homer's segment when they are supposed to be in school.