"18 Miles Out" features several references to music, film, media, and other pop culture phenomena. The episode is structured similarly to the Breaking Bad episode "4 Days Out". Alan Sepinwall of HitFix wrote: "'18 Miles Out' has a title that's very similar to '4 Days Out', one of the most memorable episodes of Breaking Bad, and a structure that's relatively similar: our two leads go on a long drive together for what should be a routine bit of business, have a lot of conversations about where they are at this point, and then hit a major obstacle that might keep them from driving home alive." While driving in his car, Rick tells Shane of an incident with a close relative, who was sitting in blizzard-like conditions while listening to a narrative of Lord of the Rings. A scene towards the end of the episode contains the song Driver's Seat by rock band Sniff 'n' the Tears. In the concluding scene of "18 Miles Out", the song "Civilian" by indie folk band Wye Oak can be heard playing in the background.