This is the 100th episode of the series. Because of that, it packed with a lot of callbacks to what happened in previous episodes. The title card is a mix of all seasons.
Coulson uses the phrase "five by five." "Five by five" is a radio communications expression that means "loud and clear."
The title sequence of the episode is made from several other title sequences, including the one which was used from Season One, the ones used for the three pods Ghost Rider, LMD and Agents of HYDRA from Season Four and the Season Five opening sequences featuring Earth as pieces and a whole.
"The Real Deal" originally aired on ABC on March 9, 2018, and was watched by 3.78 million viewers within a week.