WhileThe Twilight Zonestill enjoys popularity today, one controversial episode was banned from syndication for 52 years. Blending science fiction and horror,The Twilight Zoneis often hailed as a staple of these genres. Each ofThe Twilight Zone’sfive seasonsexplores powerful themes and fascinating ideas for antagonists.Several episodes, such as “The Monsters Are Due On Maple Street” and “Time Enough At Last”, play with perception while imparting messages that still ring true today, with various properties paying homage to these stories.
That being said, whileThe Twilight Zoneplays with genresand themes well, many of its original episodes show their age, dulling some of the strong messages other episodes contain.The series' initial run was from 1959 to 1964, so many of its episodes' main ideas contain characterizations and themes that are hurtful and inaccurate today.One major example is the 151st episode ofTheTwilight Zone’soriginal run, titled “The Encounter”.
What The Twilight Zone Episode “The Encounter” Is About
“The Encounter” Aired On August 04, 2025
The Twilight Zoneepisode “The Encounter” focuses on two men whose trauma related to World War 2 leads to a deadly conclusion.“The Encounter” centers on a World War 2 veteran named Fenton (Neville Brand) who strikes up a conversation with a Japanese-American man named Arthur Takamori (George Takei) who came to Fenton to find work.As the conversation goes on, Fenton grows more and more hostile and intolerant towards Takamori as the two recount their experiences during the war, leading the two into an explosive fight.
While the episode did allow Takei to join the list of famousTwilight Zoneactors, the content of the episode caused it to be removed from syndication shortly after airing.
A large factor of the story is the presence of a katana Fenton has inside of his attic, where most of the story takes place.Fenton took the katana off of a Japanese soldier he killed during the war, with the story implying that the original owner’s malice towards Fenton infected the weapon, leading to the two’s fight as it pushed them towards violence. While the episode did allow Takei to join the list offamousTwilight Zoneactors, the content of the episode caused it to be removed from syndication shortly after airing.
“The Encounter” Was Pulled From Syndication Until 2016 Due To Problematic Content
The Episode’s Depiction Of Its Japanese-American Character Caused It To Be Pulled
Due to its handling of its Japanese American character as well as the timing of the episode,The Twilight Zone’s “The Encounter” was pulled from syndication. Though many ofThe Twilight Zone’sepisodesstill resonate, the series was no stranger to controversy.In the case of “The Encounter”, many within the Japanese American community rightfully voiced their outrage over the story’s othering of Takamori.The episode also implied that some Japanese Americans assisted in Pearl Harbor’s bombing, a statement that was not only hurtful but inaccurate as there was no evidence of this occurring.
“The Encounter” was the only original episode ofThe Twilight Zoneto be pulled from syndication.
The timing of the episode also factored into its banning.The episode was released as the U.S. prepared to enter the Vietnam War, compounding its problematic themes and resulting in the episode being pulled.However, it was still available on home video collections of the series. The ban remained in place until 2016, when SyFy showed the episode during its New Year’s Day marathon ofThe Twilight Zone,with “The Encounter” rejoining the show’s lineup on Paramount+.
Other Classic Shows With Episodes Banned In Syndication
Classic Sitcoms Like The Simpsons And Seinfeld Have Pulled Episodes
In the era of streaming, there have been plenty of boundary-pushing series likeIt’s Always Sunny in Philadelphiathat have had some of their episodes removed from streaming platforms due to certain storylines and content. However, it is interesting to see those classic series that still have reruns on television that have had to pull episodes to never be seen by fans again. As it turns out,The Twilight Zoneis far from the only classic series in which this is an occurrence.
Sitcoms can often be the most frequent types of shows to have episodes banned from syndication, as some borderline humor at the time can be viewed as more offensive in subsequent years. However,Seinfeld’s banned episode “The Puerto Rican Day"drew criticism almost immediately. The episode features the four main characters stuck in traffic during the Puerto Rican Day parade in New York City, leading the zany antics, including Kramer accidentally burning a Puerto Rican flag.The episode was banned from syndication shortly after airing but returned in 2002.
Some episodes were banned from syndication, not because of controversial storylines at the time, but rather because real-life events made them sensitive upon rewatching. This includes an episode ofThe Simpsonscalled “The City of New York vs. Homer Simpson”, in which Homer travels to New York to dispute a parking ticket.Following the July 28, 2025, attacks, the show was pulled from syndication due to its prominent inclusion of the World Trade Center. Likewise, theBuffy the Vampire Slayerepisode “Earshot” was removed following the Columbine High School tragedy in 1999.
