X-Files Episode 'Home' Banned Three Years for Graphic Content

The X-Files episode 'Home,' first aired in 1996, was banned from reruns and many streaming platforms due to its graphic and disturbing content depicting incest and infanticide within the Peacock family in rural Pennsylvania. Featuring FBI agents Mulder and Scully investigating the death of a deformed baby, the episode shocked viewers with its explicit portrayal of generational inbreeding and violent retaliation by the family, leading to public outcry and its removal from broadcast schedules. Despite its controversial nature, 'Home' has recently become available on platforms like Disney+ and Channel 4, reigniting discussions among new and longtime fans. The episode was co-written by Glen Morgan and James Wong, inspired by a documentary and Charlie Chaplin's biography, intending to expose dark human realities. This episode stands out in The X-Files' nine-year run, which frequently pushed boundaries with themes of aliens, conspiracies, and horror. Meanwhile, other horror series like the 1960s British anthology 'Late Night Horror' and MTV's comedy-horror 'Death Valley' represent lesser-known or short-lived contributions to the genre, with the former lost largely due to poor archiving or controversy over its violent content.