 The episode's plot is a parody of Daphne du Maurier's novel "The Scapegoat", while Simon's horse Shadowfax is named after Gandalf's horse from "The Lord of the Rings" series.The episode's couch gag, with the family being swept up in a tornado and taken to a black and white farm is a reference to "The Wizard of Oz".Additionally, Apu has an issue of "Tales From the Kwik-E-Mart", a parody of the comic series "Tales from the Crypt".