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The Doctor <doctor@doctor.nl2k.ab.ca> wrote:
> Ai/LLM reviews of STNG - The Royale
> 
> Google Gemini
> 
> "Star Trek: The Next Generation - The Royale" 
> is an unusual and often perplexing episode 

This was an early contender for worst episode of the series although, in
later seasons, they produced many many many episodes (usually featuring
Gates McMuffin in some way) that beat this one on the way down.


> that blends a scientific mystery with a bizarre, 
> self-contained cultural simulation, exploring 
> themes of reality, perception, and the unintended 
> consequences of alien interpretation.
> 
> Plot Overview: The USS Enterprise-D investigates 
> a strange vessel in orbit around an unexplored planet. 
> They discover the planet has a breathable atmosphere 
> and a peculiar, isolated structure on its surface. 
> An away team, comprising Commander Riker, Lieutenant 
> Commander Data, and Lieutenant Worf, beams down 
> to investigate. They find a revolving door that 
> leads them into a lavish, yet eerily empty, 
> 20th-century Earth hotel lobby – "The Royale."
> The team quickly realises that the hotel is 
> a meticulously detailed, but ultimately flawed, 
> recreation of a bygone era. The "people" inside 
> are not truly alive but are part of the simulation. 
> They soon discover the skeletal remains of Colonel 
> Richey, an astronaut whose 21st-century Earth 
> ship mysteriously disappeared. Through their 
> investigation, the Enterprise crew pieces 
> together the bizarre truth: a highly advanced
> alien race, in an attempt to understand humanity, 
> created this entire hotel environment based 
> on a poorly written, melodramatic novel found 
> on Richey's ship. The aliens, misinterpreting 
> the fictional narrative as a guide to human life, 
> trapped Richey within this endless, looping 
> simulation, where he eventually died. The away 
> team must then find a way to escape this bizarre, 
> inescapable prison, ultimately succeeding 
> and leaving the Enterprise crew to ponder 
> the strange and tragic fate of Colonel Richey 
> and the profound misunderstanding that led to it.
> 
> Strengths:Unique Concept: The premise of an entire 
> reality constructed from a bad novel is highly 
> imaginative and a distinctly Star Trek way to 
> explore themes of perception 
> and cultural interpretation.
> 
> Data's Role: Data's logical approach to the illogical 
> events within The Royale provides some of the episode's 
> more interesting moments, as he tries to apply reason 
> to a nonsensical situation.Atmosphere: The isolated, 
> looping nature of the hotel, and the constant repetition 
> of its bizarre events, creates a genuinely unsettling 
> and surreal atmosphere.
> 
> Exploration of Misinterpretation: The episode effectively 
> highlights the dangers of misinterpreting alien cultures, 
> even with good intentions.
> 
> Weaknesses:Pacing: The episode's pacing can feel quite 
> slow, particularly as the crew repeatedly experiences 
> the same events within the hotel. The repetition, 
> while thematic, can become tedious.
> 
> Lack of Clear Stakes: While Richey's fate is tragic, 
> the immediate danger to the away team within 
> the hotel often feels less urgent or compelling 
> than other TNG threats.
> 
> The "Bad Novel" Premise: While a creative idea, 
> the execution of the "bad novel" as the source 
> material can sometimes make the events within 
> The Royale feel more silly than profound.
> 
> Underdeveloped Aliens: The alien race responsible 
> for creating The Royale is never seen or fully 
> explained, which leaves a significant plot hole 
> and reduces the impact of their "misinterpretation."
> 
> Convenient Resolution: The method of escape, 
> while eventually figured out by the crew, can feel 
> a bit arbitrary and lacks a truly satisfying 
> intellectual breakthrough.
> 
> Worf and Riker's Reactions: Their acceptance 
> of the bizarre situation, particularly Worf's, 
> feels somewhat out of character at times.
> 
> Overall Impression:"The Royale" is one 
> of Star Trek: The Next Generation's more polarising 
> episodes. Its unique and imaginative concept is its 
> greatest strength, offering a truly "strange new 
> world" to explore. However, its slow pacing, 
> reliance on a somewhat silly central premise, 
> and underdeveloped alien antagonists prevent 
> it from reaching its full potential. It's a 
> curiosity for fans interested in the show's 
> early experimental phase, but not a universally 
> beloved entry.
> 
> Rating: 5/10
> 
> ChatGPT
> 
> Alright — let’s break down 
> **“Star Trek: The Next Generation” — *The Royale*** 
> using the transcript from [chakoteya.net]
> (http://www.chakoteya.net/NextGen/138.htm).
> 
> ---
> 
> **Episode:** *The Royale*
> **Season:** 2, Episode 12
> **Original Air Date:** March 27, 1989
> 
> ---
> 
> ### **Summary (based on the transcript)**
> 
> The Enterprise investigates the wreckage 
> of a 21st-century NASA ship found orbiting 
> a planet in an uninhabitable atmosphere. 
> Data, Riker, and Worf beam down to the surface 
> and discover a surreal bubble of breathable 
> atmosphere containing… a cheesy Earth-style 
> casino hotel called “The Royale.” Inside, 
> they find a cast of melodramatic, one-dimensional 
> characters acting out the plot of a pulp crime 
> novel. The away team realises the entire environment 
> was created by aliens who misinterpreted the only 
> clue they had about humans — a terrible novel left 
> on the dead astronaut’s ship. The astronaut lived 
> out his life trapped inside this artificial setting, 
> which was supposed to be a gesture of hospitality 
> but became a prison. To escape, the crew must 
> “play the game” and finish the novel’s plot, 
> buying the hotel so they can leave.
> 
> ---
> 
> ### **Strengths:**
> 
> ✅ **Weird and memorable:** TNG occasionally 
> veers into pure surrealism, and *The Royale* 
> is a good example. The absurdity of three 
> Starfleet officers wandering through a cheap 
> knockoff of 20th-century Americana is oddly fun.
> 
> ✅ **Fish-out-of-water comedy:** There’s genuine 
> humour in how baffled Worf and Data are by the 
> hotel’s tacky clichés, gambling, and melodrama. 
> Data counting cards and cleaning out the casino
> is a fun highlight.
> 
> ✅ **Clever premise:** The aliens creating 
> a fake reality based on an Earth novel they 
> didn’t understand is classic Trek: a “what 
> if aliens tried to recreate our culture 
> with only partial info?” scenario. It echoes 
> TOS’s *A Piece of the Action*, but less successfully.
> 
> ✅ **Atmosphere:** The episode nails a dreamlike
> “Twilight Zone” vibe — it’s cheap and pulpy but 
> in a way that fits the story’s concept.
> 
> ---
> 
> ### **Weaknesses:**
> 
> ❌ **Paper-thin plot:** There’s no real character 
> growth or deep stakes. Once you grasp the mystery, 
> it’s just the crew playing along until they can leave.
> 
> ❌ **Goofy execution:** The Royale is meant to be 
> cheesy, but the characters and dialogue inside it 
> are so flat they get tedious fast. It’s one-note 
> camp that overstays its welcome.
> 
> ❌ **No payoff:** The tragic backstory of the lone 
> astronaut is barely explored. It could have been 
> poignant, but it feels brushed aside so the crew 
> can focus on the puzzle.
> 
> ❌ **Filler feel:** The episode doesn’t connect 
> to any larger Trek arcs or deepen anyone’s character. 
> It’s just a self-contained oddity.
> 
> ---
> 
> ### **Standout line:**
> 
> * **Worf:** *“I am not altogether certain this is a good idea.”*
> * This sums up the entire episode’s vibe.
> 
> ---
> 
> ### **Rating: 5/10**
> 
> *The Royale* is odd, mildly amusing filler. 
> It’s not *bad* in a painful way — it’s just 
> shallow and forgettable once the novelty wears off. 
> It has a certain B-movie charm for fans who 
> enjoy Trek’s occasional forays into surreal 
> pulp weirdness, but it’s far from essential TNG.
> 
> ---
> 
> **So far, here’s a quick ranking for context:**
> 
> | Episode                  | Rating |
> | ------------------------ | ------ |
> | **The Measure of a Man** | 9.5/10 |
> | **A Matter of Honor**    | 8.5/10 |
> | **Contagion**            | 7/10   |
> | **The Schizoid Man**     | 6/10   |
> | **The Royale**           | 5/10   |
> | **Unnatural Selection**  | 5.5/10 |
> | **The Dauphin**          | 5/10   |
> 
> 
> 



-- 
The last thing I want to do is hurt you, but it is still on my list.