The old series Romulans were portrayed as honorable. Their social structure was based on the Roman Empire. In TNG they become schemers (perhaps to compensate for the fact that the TNG Klingons suddenly become honorable, which they were NOT in the old series).
About that cloaking device episode... are you sure ? Kirk, Spock and McCoy stealing the cloaking device from the Romulans ? I don't remember that.
[ June 27, 2003, 21:23: Message edited by: Chief Engineer Erax ]