Release calendarTop 250 moviesMost popular moviesBrowse movies by genreTop box officeShowtimes & ticketsMovie newsIndia movie spotlight
    What's on TV & streamingTop 250 TV showsMost popular TV showsBrowse TV shows by genreTV news
    What to watchLatest trailersIMDb OriginalsIMDb PicksIMDb SpotlightFamily entertainment guideIMDb Podcasts
    OscarsEmmysToronto Int'l Film FestivalHispanic Heritage MonthIMDb Stars to WatchSTARmeter AwardsAwards CentralFestival CentralAll events
    Born todayMost popular celebsCelebrity news
    Help centerContributor zonePolls
For industry professionals
  • Language
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
Watchlist
Sign in
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
Use app
Star Trek: The Next Generation
S2.E12
All episodesAll
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
IMDbPro

The Royale

  • Episode aired Mar 25, 1989
  • TV-PG
  • 45m
IMDb RATING
6.6/10
4.2K
YOUR RATING
The Royale (1989)
ActionAdventureDramaSci-Fi

Worf, Data, and Riker find themselves trapped in a re-creation of a poorly written novel.Worf, Data, and Riker find themselves trapped in a re-creation of a poorly written novel.Worf, Data, and Riker find themselves trapped in a re-creation of a poorly written novel.

  • Director
    • Cliff Bole
  • Writers
    • Gene Roddenberry
    • Tracy Tormé
    • Leonard Mlodinow
  • Stars
    • Patrick Stewart
    • Jonathan Frakes
    • LeVar Burton
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    6.6/10
    4.2K
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Cliff Bole
    • Writers
      • Gene Roddenberry
      • Tracy Tormé
      • Leonard Mlodinow
    • Stars
      • Patrick Stewart
      • Jonathan Frakes
      • LeVar Burton
    • 29User reviews
    • 10Critic reviews
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • Photos11

    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    + 6
    View Poster

    Top cast22

    Edit
    Patrick Stewart
    Patrick Stewart
    • Captain Jean-Luc Picard
    Jonathan Frakes
    Jonathan Frakes
    • Commander William Thomas 'Will' Riker
    LeVar Burton
    LeVar Burton
    • Lieutenant Geordi La Forge
    Michael Dorn
    Michael Dorn
    • Lieutenant Worf
    Marina Sirtis
    Marina Sirtis
    • Counselor Deanna Troi
    Brent Spiner
    Brent Spiner
    • Lieutenant Commander Data
    Wil Wheaton
    Wil Wheaton
    • Wesley Crusher
    Diana Muldaur
    Diana Muldaur
    • Doctor Pulaski
    Sam Anderson
    Sam Anderson
    • Assistant Manager
    Jill Jacobson
    • Vanessa
    Leo Garcia
    Leo Garcia
    • Bellboy
    Noble Willingham
    Noble Willingham
    • Texas
    Colm Meaney
    Colm Meaney
    • Chief Miles O'Brien
    Greg Beecroft
    • Mickey D
    • (as Gregory Beecroft)
    David Armstrong
    • Hotel Royale Staffer
    • (uncredited)
    Majel Barrett
    Majel Barrett
    • Enterprise Computer
    • (voice)
    • (uncredited)
    John Blower
    • Hotel Royale Staffer
    • (uncredited)
    Peter Eastman
    • Hotel Royale Staffer
    • (uncredited)
    • Director
      • Cliff Bole
    • Writers
      • Gene Roddenberry
      • Tracy Tormé
      • Leonard Mlodinow
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews29

    6.64.1K
    1
    2
    3
    4
    5
    6
    7
    8
    9
    10

    Featured reviews

    5drgarnett

    Read (not watch) Clarke's 2001 A Space Odyssey to understand this.

    I thought this was a typically awful early TNG episode. After seeing it more than once I see it now as a tribute to Arthur C Clarke's 2001. You have to read the novel to understand, which none of the previous reviewers have done.

    I still don't think this very good, but at least I think I see where it's coming from. A student acknowledging a master.
    7jamesearlcash-70151

    Guilty pleasure

    I have fond memories of this episode, is it bad? Yes.

    Do I enjoy it every time? Yes

    On of my favorite detective show tropes is when folks are on a cruise ship, train or in a hotel, this being the later.
    10maximumcool

    A fun episode with some good laughs

    Ever since I saw this episode when it first aired, this has always been one of the favorite episode of ST:TNG. Now, when I was younger, I don't think I got a lot of the humor, but now when I watch it I laugh my head off. The plot is fairly clever and it's always hilarious when we see the members of the Enterprise try to interact with obsolete technology.

    The plot revolves around Riker, Worf, and Data become trapped in a sort of simulation based off a "second rate" novel that is set in a 1920's gangster era hotel/casino. The characters they interact with are caricatures and I think the actors and actresses playing them have a good time with that. It's obvious that the writers had a fun time making the most cliché'd version of the hotel that they possibly could. For example, there's a rich Texan playing blackjack and loudly giving advice to anyone who will listen, because there's ALWAYS a rich Texan acting just like that in these kind of novels. There's a gangster named (of course) "Mickey D". And when we find out the opening line of the novel is "It was a dark and stormy night" we know it's probably even worse then we can imagine.
    8markonstuart

    Flag is correct

    It is clearly stated that the US had 52 states at the time. Reviewer should watch the show more carefully.
    6Hitchcoc

    They Do It All the Time on the Holodeck

    Just don't ask "why"? After finding a floating artifact from the 21st century something interesting ensues. An away team of Riker, Worf, and Data find a revolving door in the middle of nowhere. They go through and find themselves in a kind of hotel/casino. Something is being held from them. The problem is that now they are in the place, they can't get out. The get into the door and circle right back in. Meanwhile, a cast of characters, a hostile clerk, a cowboy who is gambling, a floozy, and others go about their business. Somehow, this whole thing was set up based on a cheap novel. The problem is that there is no reason for this happening. Who are the alien forces that caused all this and what were their motivations. Sometimes I think that the writers would use any excuse to write something about another setting than the Enterprise. This has some funny moments, but they are based on the fact that a starship lieutenant, a Klingon, and an android are interacting with regular people who don't notice their physical appearances.

    Related interests

    Bruce Willis in Die Hard (1988)
    Action
    Still frame
    Adventure
    Mahershala Ali and Alex R. Hibbert in Moonlight (2016)
    Drama
    James Earl Jones and David Prowse in Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
    Sci-Fi

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      This episode, airing in 1989, predicts that Fermat's Last Theorem would have gone unsolved for 800 years as of the mid-24th century. It was actually solved in 1993 by Princeton University Professor Andrew Wiles. In 2016, he won the Abel prize in recognition of his accomplishment.
    • Goofs
      Early on, Geordi states that the surface temperature of the planet is -291°C. This is physically impossible as the minimum temperature possible in the universe is 0 K (-273.15°C)
    • Quotes

      Lt. Commander Data: [examining skeletal remains in hotel bed] Definitely human. Male.

      Commander William T. Riker: Looks like the poor devil died in his sleep.

      Lieutenant Worf: What a terrible way to die.

    • Connections
      Featured in Treksperts Briefing Room: The Royale w/ Mark, Daren & Ashley (2021)
    • Soundtracks
      Star Trek: The Next Generation Main Title
      Composed by Jerry Goldsmith and Alexander Courage

    Top picks

    Sign in to rate and Watchlist for personalized recommendations
    Sign in

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • March 25, 1989 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Official site
      • Official site
    • Language
      • English
    • Filming locations
      • Paramount Studios - 5555 Melrose Avenue, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA(Studio)
    • Production company
      • Paramount Television
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      • 45m
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Stereo
      • Dolby Digital
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.33 : 1

    Contribute to this page

    Suggest an edit or add missing content
    • Learn more about contributing
    Edit page

    More to explore

    Recently viewed

    Please enable browser cookies to use this feature. Learn more.
    Get the IMDb App
    Sign in for more accessSign in for more access
    Follow IMDb on social
    Get the IMDb App
    For Android and iOS
    Get the IMDb App
    • Help
    • Site Index
    • IMDbPro
    • Box Office Mojo
    • License IMDb Data
    • Press Room
    • Advertising
    • Jobs
    • Conditions of Use
    • Privacy Policy
    • Your Ads Privacy Choices
    IMDb, an Amazon company

    © 1990-2025 by IMDb.com, Inc.