The traditional tune of "La Cucaracha" is heard in the Parson's car when he arrives to Springfield.
The sign "Everyone Says Parson's Nice" is a reference to ESPN, the sports channel, while the "I Presby-love you" sign is a reference to Presbyterianism.
The Parson is a parody of Bing Crosby as Father O'Malley in Going My Way, a 1944 musical comedy-drama film.
When Reverend Lovejoy was nervous about meeting the Parson, Helen told him to calm down as he was only an old roommate from Texas Christian, the private Christian university.
Helen used to sell Mary Kay cosmetics and Reverend Lovejoy makes a reference to Mary Kay Ash.
Reverend Lovejoy offers the Parson some Nilla wafer cookies.
When trying to hide his addiction to poker, Reverend Lovejoy told the Parson that Helen bought a fireplace poker from Nova Scotia, Canada.
When Maggie watches her parents fighting, Homer and Marge parody the 1962 film King Kong vs. Godzilla with Homer as Kong and Marge as Godzilla. To further the parody, Homer and Marge have Kong and Godzilla's actual roars from the film.
After they finish fighting, Homer as Kong seats and reads an Apes magazine. When he transforms back to human, the magazine transforms into People, the American weekly publication.
At the beginning of the wedding, a band plays the "Bridal Chorus". When Marge finds out Homer is missing, the band stops the wedding music and starts playing "When the Saints Go Marching In".
Homer being shackled to a pipe in a dingy room and taunted by a disembodied voice is a reference to Saw.
Bart thinks that if his parents do not marry again he will disappear. This is a reference to Back to the Future.
This is the first episode that Sideshow Bob was both the main focus and yet not the main antagonist behind the events of said episode since "Brother from Another Series". Instead, Patty and Selma are the antagonists, this time. (Ironically, one of them was a previous target of Bob.)
Ironically, Sideshow Bob had the perfect chance to kill Bart, but instead, gave him advice.
This is the first episode to hint that Helen Lovejoy used to be a man, and to hint that Rev. Lovejoy doesn't know about it.
Sideshow Bob seems to have ditched his family and turned good, but he returned in Season 21 again.
It's implied in this episode that Homer's trademark line of "Why you little...!" when about to strangle Bart, when done fully, is "Why you little bastard!".
On June 28, 2009, three days after the death of Michael Jackson, this episode was dedicated to Michael Jackson with a picture of Leon Kompowsky from "Stark Raving Dad".
This episode was rated TV-14 DLSV.
Reverend Lovejoy's list of people on his phone includes:
In church, there is lots of rows of seats; however, after Ned faints, there is only about five rows.
Rev. Lovejoy comes to the Simpsons door, but when he is seen sat down in a chair in the living room, the pictures going up the stairs have changed since the last shot.
In Maggie's fantasy, Marge's hair goes THROUGH the side of the wall to the corridor leading to the basement.
Raphael has lighter skin than usual.
There should be attendants at the other stands at the town hall in one of the later scenes.
