George Takei Starred In The Only Twilight Zone Episode That Was Banned From Syndication

"Star Trek" legend George Takei is one of the best-known Asian-American actors in Hollywood history, and he gave what is arguably one of his best performances in the only episode of "The Twilight Zone" that ended up being banned from syndication: Season 5's "The Encounter." Originally airing in 1964, this episode follows a Japanese-American gardener and a white American World War II vet whose yard he's hired to work on. Takei played the former, Arthur Takamori, while Neville Brand played the veteran Fenton, who is revealed to have taken a samurai sword from a Japanese soldier during the war.

"The Encounter" proved controversial because it included one of the most shocking "The Twilight Zone" plot twists ever: In a fantasy sequence, Takamori's father — also a Japanese-American — is shown signaling the Japanese bombers that attacked Pearl Harbor in 1941, the inciting incident of the United States' involvement in World War II. As Takei pointed out during a Television Academy interview, nothing like this actually happened in real life, but the plot point still angered audiences, with some Asian-American civil liberties groups speaking out against it. "'Twilight Zone' is not a fact-based show," the actor said. "I thought people understood that to be one of the givens but it was taken literally by some."

Because of the controversy that "The Encounter" stirred, the episode was cut from reruns. It also didn't air in syndication with the rest of the series for decades. However, it eventually saw the light of day in the modern era: The episode aired on the Syfy channel in 2016 as part of a New Year's marathon of the classic horror anthology series, the first time it had been shown on TV since it was removed from the syndicated version of the series years prior. "The Encounter" has also become available on home video releases of "The Twilight Zone," and it's now streaming on Paramount+ and Tubi with the rest of the show.

"The Encounter" remains one of the most underrated episodes of "The Twilight Zone." It's worth seeking out purely because George Takei's turn as Arthur Takamori is captivating. In fact, you could argue that it's one of the best acting performances in the history of "The Twilight Zone." Despite the controversy it caused, the episode occupies a special place in Takei's heart because director Robert Butler specifically wanted him for the part of Arthur Takamori. "I was very grateful to him for having brought me into this wonderful role," Takei said during his Television Academy interview. "At that time, one had to audition, and I didn't have to audition for that, so that made it a special thing."