Original "The Royale" Script

[Trekker4747]

Sounds like it would've been a very interesting episode, but out of scope of what TNG did. TNG only did one episode, well technically two, episodes that didn't greatly focus on "our" heroes. (Lower Decks being the major one, the minor one being The Inner Light) The series didn't start heavily focusing on one-off episodic or secondary characters until DS9 and even Voyager. Still, I think "The Royale" is a fun episode and one I tend to like more than others around here.

I wasn't sure if it was supposed to be set in the 1930s--in which case you wouldn't really find a casino hotel of that size in Vegas--or later, in which case everything else is pretty anachronistic.

The "cowboy" gambler in the casino at one point tells Data that he has a '96 Cadillac in the parking lot, suggesting the timeperiod of the book is set around or after 1996. (Which, incidentally, from the POV of the episode's creators was in "the future.") As for the look of the casino not much matching up with, then, present-day decor, etc. That could be chalked up to the book being so poorly written that the aliens couldn't make an accurate fascimilie or the "mental picture of it" the aliens may gotten from the astronaut's mind was what we saw, again that of cheap, cheesy, generic hotel.

Again, I think this is a descent epiosde. And the book was written by Snoopy!

 

[Admiral Buzzkill]

Isn't it kind of lazy to write hollow characters, then smile and say that they're supposed to be hollow?

Yep, it certainly is.

The guy who rewrote this one didn't want it to be any good; he was trying to drive the original writer off the series.

 

[Shatnertage]

^^^I didn't know that, but I can't say that I'm surprised, given the results.

I took it upon myself to rewatch The Royale this morning, and they really do carry on a bit much about how awful the source material is.

Here's my gambling nit-pick: Data says the object of blackjack is to get as close to 21 as possible. It's not. The object is to beat the dealer; it doesn't matter how close you are to 21 if the dealer busts, which happens (in theory) about 26% of the time.

(His "accessing..." bit about blackjack raised some questions about just how much Data knows that I might start another post about, to keep this one focused on The Royale.)

There are some pretty big problems with the concept itself. Now I'm not going to demand realism in a show with FTL travel, transporters, and universal translators, but a few things jumped out at me.

The whole premise, that these aliens created this pocket of reality based on the book, breaks down if you consider it. The aliens learn to speak English well enough to not only read the book, but also understand it well enough to build a casino based on it. They understand humans well enough to create realistic facsimiles that talk and act like the real thing. They felt bad enough about what they did to go through a lot of trouble for this guy.

But they never call him up and ask him how he's doing?

Really, if they knew enough to create this illusion, they would be more than capable of communicating with Colonel Richey. So the whole premise falls down.

Plus you've got yet another apparently omniscient/omnipotent being or beings in the galaxy. Again. Now maybe if they'd revealed that Q did this because the guy cheesed him off I could see it; maybe reveal Q as the manager towards the end. Still not a great idea, but it makes sense within the Trek universe.

Second, why go through the trouble of making it impossible to get out?

Third, I just can't see that being set in a casino in the 1990s--the whole bellboy/big boss subplot is straight of a Dixon Hill holo-program.

Fourth, your super-evil mob boss is named Mickey D? What, the Hamburglar was busy?

I really wanted to like this one. I really tried to like this one. But they're not giving me a lot to work with.

Still, I can't help but laugh at, "Was it personal? Because I didn't show you my car?"

 

[Linnis Paris]

I'd love to read that script. The Royale has always been one of those episodes I can't really stand. My husband and I are currently re-watching all the seasons of Trek in order and watched it a couple days ago. Except for Data getting totally into character as the gambler I still don't like it.

 

[Noname Given]

^^^I didn't know that, but I can't say that I'm surprised, given the results.

I took it upon myself to rewatch The Royale this morning, and they really do carry on a bit much about how awful the source material is.

Here's my gambling nit-pick: Data says the object of blackjack is to get as close to 21 as possible. It's not. The object is to beat the dealer; it doesn't matter how close you are to 21 if the dealer busts, which happens (in theory) about 26% of the time.

(His "accessing..." bit about blackjack raised some questions about just how much Data knows that I might start another post about, to keep this one focused on The Royale.)

There are some pretty big problems with the concept itself. Now I'm not going to demand realism in a show with FTL travel, transporters, and universal translators, but a few things jumped out at me.

The whole premise, that these aliens created this pocket of reality based on the book, breaks down if you consider it. The aliens learn to speak English well enough to not only read the book, but also understand it well enough to build a casino based on it. They understand humans well enough to create realistic facsimiles that talk and act like the real thing. They felt bad enough about what they did to go through a lot of trouble for this guy.

But they never call him up and ask him how he's doing?

Really, if they knew enough to create this illusion, they would be more than capable of communicating with Colonel Richey. So the whole premise falls down.

Plus you've got yet another apparently omniscient/omnipotent being or beings in the galaxy. Again. Now maybe if they'd revealed that Q did this because the guy cheesed him off I could see it; maybe reveal Q as the manager towards the end. Still not a great idea, but it makes sense within the Trek universe.

Second, why go through the trouble of making it impossible to get out?

Third, I just can't see that being set in a casino in the 1990s--the whole bellboy/big boss subplot is straight of a Dixon Hill holo-program.

Fourth, your super-evil mob boss is named Mickey D? What, the Hamburglar was busy?

I really wanted to like this one. I really tried to like this one. But they're not giving me a lot to work with.

Still, I can't help but laugh at, "Was it personal? Because I didn't show you my car?"

Actually, the whole preise (about the aliens feeling sorry/guilty) fall apart at the:

"Erase his memory of the abduction, and return him to Earth."

part. If the aliens have the level of mind reading; and FTL, this shouldn't be an issue.

IF the astronaut were alive, he might have covered WHY he was left there.

 

[BillJ]

Actually, the whole preise (about the aliens feeling sorry/guilty) fall apart at the:

"Erase his memory of the abduction, and return him to Earth."

part. If the aliens have the level of mind reading; and FTL, this shouldn't be an issue.

IF the astronaut were alive, he might have covered WHY he was left there.

But you're then assigning human values and logic to an alien entity. I think of it being more like keeping a bug alive. You find a jar, drop some grass down in there, put some foil on top and poke some holes in it then forget about it until the bug is long dead.

 

[Joeman]

I guess I'll be the minority here. "The Royale" really isn't a very good episode.

From my experience here, that opinion is definitely not in the minority. I'm one of the few who really liked that episode. In fact I scored it 10/10, so I actually loved it. To me it seems reminiscent of a mix between classic Trek and classic Twilight Zone.

Maybe Torme's original script would have been great, but honestly from what he's saying I can't get much of a grasp on it, as it seems a bit convoluted to me. Also, his tone sounds like he's quite a bit bitter about being so heavily rewritten. Who knows.

 

[StarryEyed]

For me, The Royale is an absolutely laughably bad episode but fun to watch. It took place on a planet with a temperature below absolute zero and a ludicrous wind speed - I don't recall but it was in metric and translated to over 10,000 MPH.

The hotel thing was pure camp but the story actually intended it to be that way. It was a laugh a minute without being a total disgrace of an episode.

I do feel for the writer though because he was going for something serious and had to watch in horror as his work was turned into a total farce.

 

[Shatnertage]

Is it true that the editor had it in for the original author because he wouldn't show him his car?

 

[Trekker4747]

Is it true that the editor had it in for the original author because he wouldn't show him his car?

I heard they got into a fight over a woman named Rita and the editor insisted he be called Mickey D.

 

[Shatnertage]

I heard they got into a fight over a woman named Rita and the editor insisted he be called Mickey D.

It's early, but as of right now that made my day.