Apple's Delay Of A 'Controversial' New TV Show Makes No Sense

"When Stranger Things Season 4 premiered on May 27, 2022, it opened with a warning about a scene where multiple children are killed; 19 children had been murdered three days ago in a shooting in Uvalde, Texas. The disclaimer reminded viewers that the series had been filmed a year ago, and expressed sympathy for the victims' loved ones. Apple just took far more drastic action with one of its upcoming series, pulling the Jessica Chastain-led thriller from its release calendar."

"I've seen all eight episodes of The Savant for review purposes, and I understand the thought process: the series follows a federal agent (Chastain) who lurks undercover in men's rights and white supremacy groups to stop domestic terrorists before they act. Essentially, it's the first thriller where much of the action happens on Discord. In the wake of the Charlie Kirk assassination, Apple's thinking is presumably that a show about extreme beliefs leading to extreme actions may be too on the nose."

"But The Savant doesn't name-drop any conservative commentators. As evident in the trailer, its villains are vague people on the fringes of politics with no specific affiliations. The heinous acts they're planning are not condoned, obviously. It's about as controversial as The Night Agent, Hostage, or any other conspiracy and espionage thriller."

Studios sometimes alter or delay fictional portrayals after real tragedies to avoid appearing disrespectful. Stranger Things added a content warning following the Uvalde school shooting. Apple removed The Savant from its release calendar days before its scheduled premiere, citing sensitivity after the Charlie Kirk assassination. The Savant follows an undercover federal agent who infiltrates men's rights and white supremacy groups to stop domestic terrorists, with much of the action taking place on Discord. The series does not name specific conservative commentators and portrays villains as vague political fringes. Jessica Chastain, who is also an executive producer and the lead, publicly expressed disappointment.

Read at Inverse