Star Trek: 10 Greatest Filler Episodes

The Royale has Data in a stetson, blowing on dice, and Worf looking as though he just hasn't got a clue. It's a lot of fun, even if it normally ranks a little lower on rewatch lists for The Next Generation's second season.

It's light fare. The Enterprise-D discovers NASA wreckage in space, leading them to a planet that contains a recreation of the eponymous hotel, based on a novel a long-dead astronaut carried with them into space. That, in a nutshell, is the episode. 

This was a chance for The Next Generation to play with comedy again, something they had rushed when it came to earlier episodes like The Naked Now. The audience knew the characters far better, so seeing them taken out of their serious roles wasn't anything too jarring.

It's a simple episode, it's enjoyable, and it was almost never discussed again, save for one copy of the book turning up in Hauze's collection in Kayshon, His Eyes Open.