Is it weird that The Royale is one of my favourite episodes?

[PTRACER]

I just think the whole premise to it is wonderful. It doesn't matter that it's not in any way rooted in reality, it's just a real classic Sci-Fi story.

My favourite part is surely when they find the body of the US Astronaut and Riker reads out his diary entry. A brilliant piece of writing:

"I write this in the hope that it will someday be read by human eyes. I can only surmise at this point, but apparently our exploratory shuttle was contaminated by an alien life form which infected and killed all personnel except myself. I awakened to find myself here in the Royale Hotel, precisely as described in the novel I found in my room. And for the last thirty eight years I have survived here. I have come to understand that the alien contaminators created this place for me out of some sense of guilt, presuming that the novel we had on board the shuttle about the Hotel Royale was in fact a guide to our preferred lifestyle and social habits. Obviously, they thought this was the world from which I came. I hold no malice toward my benefactors. They could not possibly know the hell they have put me through, for it was such a badly written book, filled with endless cliché and shallow characters. I shall welcome death when it comes."

Any other opinions of this episode?

 

[sbk1234]

I don't share your view, but I applaud your bravery for admitting it freely.

 

[Michael]

Any other opinions of this episode?

It's one of my favorite episodes from the season! Granted, as filmed, it's quite campy, but Tracy Tormé's original story had much more depth to it. For years I've been trying to get my hands on his original script/treatment. Apparently it was written with a much more serious tone. In this version the astronaut isn't dead, but has been kept alive by the aliens for decades, forced to live inside the Hotel Royale world.

But even the episode as-is has some qualities to it. The whole setting is quite eerie with a lot of atmosphere. And I love the way they try to outsmart the pulp story and get out of the hotel. Also, some funny scenes with Data and the Texan. I'm looking forward to this episode in HD!

If anyone knows about a way to contact Tormé and ask about his original story, please let me know. I'd love to hear about the original story at the heart of this.

 

[Mrs Q]

I just think the whole premise to it is wonderful. It doesn't matter that it's not in any way rooted in reality, it's just a real classic Sci-Fi story.

My favourite part is surely when they find the body of the US Astronaut and Riker reads out his diary entry. A brilliant piece of writing:

"I write this in the hope that it will someday be read by human eyes. I can only surmise at this point, but apparently our exploratory shuttle was contaminated by an alien life form which infected and killed all personnel except myself. I awakened to find myself here in the Royale Hotel, precisely as described in the novel I found in my room. And for the last thirty eight years I have survived here. I have come to understand that the alien contaminators created this place for me out of some sense of guilt, presuming that the novel we had on board the shuttle about the Hotel Royale was in fact a guide to our preferred lifestyle and social habits. Obviously, they thought this was the world from which I came. I hold no malice toward my benefactors. They could not possibly know the hell they have put me through, for it was such a badly written book, filled with endless cliché and shallow characters. I shall welcome death when it comes."

Any other opinions of this episode?

I completely agree with you! I've just posted about it on the unjustly hated episode thread.
It's one of my favourite TNG episodes. I love the entire story.
And it had Data at his cute and funny best, which is always a big plus for me. His gambling scenes are hilarious.

 

[LOKAI of CHERON]

No, not weird at all! The Royale remains one of my favourites from S2.

 

[Tora Ziyal]

Well, to me it was exceedingly boring and silly, but you go right ahead and enjoy. Differences in taste make the world more interesting.

 

[wissaboo]

It's a cool concept.

 

[kolibri]

I was actually surprised to realize everyone hated it.

 

[PTRACER]

It sort of reminds me of a lucid dream. You realise you're dreaming, so you try to find holes in it...Like when Data asks the Texan to take him to his car, or when Worf moves the slot machines to get at the windows.

I didn't know that M! That story would make it even more eery than it already is.

 

[Dream]

"This planet. What do you call it?"
"Earth. What do you call it?"
"We call it Theta VIII."
"How charming."

 

[BillJ]

One of my favorite episodes of TNG.

 

[SiddFinch1]

Neither a great episode nor a terrible one. It was okay. Silly but aime enjoyable moments

 

[Mojochi]

It's weird to like TNG at all. No one could really fault you for liking a less commonly celebrated episode. I find much of it kind of tedious on rewatch, but I dislike it much less than some of their other episodes. It's one of those that remind me of TOS

 

[BillJ]

It's weird to like TNG at all.

 

[TEACAKE'S PLEATHER DOME]

TNG is my least favorite Trek.

The Royale was one of the few episodes I remember fondly.

So, maybe there is something in that.

 

[SonicRanger]

The Royale is one of the episodes most similar to classic sic-fi like The Twilight Zone or The Outer Limits, so I really like it for that reason.

 

[Enterprise is Great]

Yeah, me too.

 

[RAMA]

Yes, but it's no big deal.

 

[Mojochi]

It's weird to like TNG at all.

among the general population? yeah. It's all relative

 

[T'Girl]

One of the things that I like best in certain episodes, is when TPTB give us little trickles of information (as opposed to gluts of exposition) on the history of Earth and the Federation, and how things came together.

The date of the astronaut's fight, and details from the flag on his pressure suit are examples of this.