Glenne Headly was heavily pregnant during her time on the show, necessitating camera angles that only showed her from the waist up or standing behind something, and requiring her to wear larger scrubs to cover her stomach.
This is the first appearance in the series of Jorja Fox (credited as Jorjan Fox) as Dr. Maggie Doyle.
The title refers to the United States' Department of Defense Directive "Don't ask, don't tell" which was the official US policy on military service by gays, bisexuals, and lesbians from February 28, 1994 until September 20, 2011.