The Twilight Zone had its justifiable share of eerie episodes, however one stood out for the unsuitable causes. The Encounter was yanked from syndication for 52 years. The rationale? Problematic themes that sparked outrage, particularly inside the Japanese American group. And whereas it lastly resurfaced in 2016, its historical past stays simply as haunting because the tales the sequence advised.
Airing in 1964, The Encounter centered on two males — a World Battle II veteran named Fenton (Neville Model) and a Japanese American man, Arthur Takamori (George Takei). What began as a easy dialog spiraled into rigidity, with Fenton’s bitterness towards Japan fueling hostility. The episode’s supernatural twist concerned a katana Fenton took from a soldier he killed, hinting that the sword carried the unique proprietor’s malice, driving the lads right into a violent confrontation.
Whereas The Twilight Zone typically explored deep themes, The Encounter crossed a line. In accordance with Screenrant, the episode implied that some Japanese People helped bomb Pearl Harbor — an offensive and traditionally inaccurate declare. Given the tensions of the time, it didn’t take lengthy for the backlash to tug the plug on reruns.
Past its controversial content material, The Encounter landed at a fragile second. The U.S. was gearing up for the Vietnam Battle, including one other layer of discomfort to an already problematic narrative. The episode vanished from syndication, although it remained in dwelling video collections. A long time handed earlier than SyFy included it in its 2016 New Yr’s marathon, marking its quiet return to tv.
The Twilight Zone had extra than simply banned episodes in its historical past; it was additionally tied to one among Hollywood’s worst on-set tragedies. In 1982, Twilight Zone: The Film turned lethal when a helicopter crash killed actor Vic Morrow and two baby actors, Myca Dinh Le and Renee Shin-Yi Chen. The catastrophe pressured main security reforms however left a long-lasting stain on the franchise.
Yanked episodes weren’t distinctive to The Twilight Zone. Seinfeld pulled The Puerto Rican Day after Kramer torched a Puerto Rican flag. The Simpsons dropped The Metropolis of New York vs. Homer Simpson post-9/11 on account of its World Commerce Heart scenes. Buffy the Vampire Slayer shelved Earshot after Columbine. TV’s line between daring and problematic shifts with time. The Twilight Zone pushed boundaries, however The Encounter crossed one. Even after its return, it stays a reminder that not each story deserves a comeback.
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