As stated, Asafoetida, is not only a flavoring spice used in Iran and Afghanistan, but in other South Asian cooking styles. It is considered "food of the Gods" , and it smells like onions or leeks when heating. It must be stored carefully, it must be double packed in airtight containers, or the odor would permeate a living space for or months.
On February 29, 2020, the United States withdrew military support for the nation of Afghanistan. The very last day was, Aug 30, 2021. In that time, those who were deemed collaborators with the American government were dealt with harshly and swiftly by the Taliban-occupied government.
For our International audience, "Karen", refers to a caricature of a White, generally upper middle-class, woman, who tends to be arrogant and has an excessive sense of entitlement.
The episode title, "Stranger in a Strange Land", is also the name of a science-fiction novel by Naval Academy graduate Robert A. Heinlein, about a Human raised in a Martian Colony who finds himself on Earth. One of the more famous works written by Heinlein that was made into a film was called Starship Troopers (1997). It is also attributed to Moses, as stated in Book of Exodus, Old Testament.
When Dr. Palmer does an online background check on a prospective date for his daughter, he compares him to serial killers "[Jeffrey] Dahmer and [Ted] Bundy and [John Wayne] Gacy." Mark Harmon, executive producer and leading actor of the series up to Season 19 as Jethro Gibbs, was the first actor to portray Ted Bundy in the first of several movies and miniseries made about Bundy over the years, in The Deliberate Stranger (1986).