The episode was inspired by the book "In the Presence of Mine Enemies", which is the story of a US Navy pilot struggling to survive in a prison during the Vietnam War after his plane is shot down. Also, the episode and book's title is from Psalm 23:5 in The Bible, which states: "Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over."
The shot of Slipstream flying over a Cobra Firebat was inspired by a scene in the film Top Gun, which premiered at movie theaters on May 16, 1986.
Before releasing his parachute into a Night Raven, Slipstream quips that it is time to play a game called "Chutes and Lasers," which is reference to the board game Chutes and Ladders. The game was created in India and released in the US by Milton Bradley, a company acquired by Hasbro.
