For example, a quilt seen in the character of Alison’s apartment was patterned with the chemical structure of the abortion drug RU‑486, and Chinese takeout boxes featured characters for “Human Rights” and “Turmoil and Chaos,” referencing the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests. Other props included unrolled condoms as a pattern on bedsheets, bottles labeled with commentary on alcohol’s history, and paintings that depicted sites tied to tragic events in California’s past. Though most viewers probably never noticed these details while watching the show, the art was later shown in galleries and auctioned for charity.
