The events of Conspiracy (1988), Sins of the Father (1990), The Best of Both Worlds: Part 1 (1990), The Best of Both Worlds: Part 2 (1990), Family (1990), and Data's Day (1991) are referenced in this episode. It reveals that 39 Federation starships were annihilated and 11,000 personnel were lost at the Battle of Wolf 359.
A drumhead trial was the name for an archaic form of court martial practiced on Earth in the 19th century. Its name derives from the eponymous usage of a drum's head as a table for the presiding judge in an ad-hoc military tribunal. Such trials were marked by an emphasis on expediency and a notable lack of due process and impartiality. Often, the actual "trial" was a mere formality, with the verdict known well in advance. They were sometimes used to curb similar behavior in other potential offenders. Trials akin to the drumhead-type were conducted in later eras and by different cultures.
According to director Jonathan Frakes, several shots were "stolen" from courtroom films including Judgment at Nuremberg (1961) (which starred future Star Trek (1966) lead William Shatner) and The Caine Mutiny (1954).
Michael Dorn said that The Offspring (1990) and The Drumhead (1991) were his two favorite episodes of TNG.
A long-time extra, Ensign Kellogg, played by Cameron (birth name Roberta Jean Oppenheimer) is finally named during Worf's briefing with his security officers.