Star Trek: Deep Space Nine

Malissa Longo, the widow of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine actor Aron Eisenberg, calls Nog’s final, canonical rank in Star Trek: Starfleet Academy “mega bulls—.” Nog’s name is one of dozens of Starfleet legends and real-life Star Trek creatives emblazoned on Star Trek: Starfleet Academy‘s Wall of Heroes in the late 32nd century.

However, Nog is merely listed as “Lt. Nog,” the same rank he achieved at the end of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. Given the bright future ahead for the first Ferengi in Starfleet, and Nog appearing as a Captain in one alternate future seen in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Star Trek: Starfleet Academy effectively determines that Nog never rose past Lieutenant, which seems wrong.

Virtual Trek Con’s Star Trek and Chill podcast reviewed ScreenRant‘s article Star Trek’s Legacy Wall: The 10 Most Shocking Reveals, which highlighted Lt. Nog’s listing on Star Trek: Starfleet Academy’s Wall of Heroes. Although she is a fan of Star Trek: Starfleet Academy, Malissa Longo strongly objected to Lieutenant being Nog’s canonically recorded final rank. Read Malissa’s quote and watch the video below:

“I call bulls—. Mega, mega bullsh—. This is my bone to pick. We saw Nog become Captain in Deep Space Nine…

We did see him, in the future, two times, not just in Deep Space Nine, but in the documentary, What We Left Behind. He was a Captain on the Defiant. So he was killed when he was Captain on the Defiant… Nog always became a Captain, so he should definitely have at least reached Captaincy… Captain Nog forever…

And he didn’t die during the Dominion War. He lost a leg, which makes him a hero. Because of his actions, he was a hero. But he went on and learned from his tragedy during the Siege of [AR-558]… But he made it through. He survived. And I have no doubt that he took what he learned from that and went on to be Captain.”

As Malissa explained, Nog was a Starfleet Captain in the alternate future seen in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine‘s season 4 classic, “The Visitor.” In the documentary What We Left Behind, DS9′s core writing team, led by showrunner Ira Steven Behr, made Nog Captain of the USS Defiant in the first episode of their apocryphal Star Trek: Deep Space Nine season 8.

Nog was a beloved Star Trek: Deep Space Nine character, and perhaps the finest example of DS9‘s penchant for elevating ancillary roles until they equaled the popularity of DS9‘s core cast. Nog was not only the first Ferengi in Starfleet, but he was a highly respected Ensign who lost his leg while fighting in the Dominion War.

Nog received his promotion to Lieutenant at the end of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, and it’s baffling that the highly-motivated and hypercompetent Ferengi never rose higher in canon, as established by Star Trek: Starfleet Academy‘s Wall of Heroes. After all, Nog was sponsored and mentored by Captain Benjamin Sisko (Avery Brooks), and Captaincy seemed to be Nog’s destiny.

Star Trek: Discovery recognized Nog by naming the Eisenberg Class starship USS Nog after Aron and his signature Ferengi. Yet this only makes Star Trek: Starfleet Academy listing Nog as a Lieutenant more confounding. Would Starfleet name a starship after a mere Lieutenant, even if he was the first Ferengi in Starfleet?

An artist, actor, and entrepreneur, Malissa Longo met Aron Eisenberg in 2013, and they married in 2018 before his tragic passing in September 2019. Malissa speaks for Aron and intimately knows her late husband’s feelings about Star Trek. While Malissa is confident Aron would have loved Star Trek: Starfleet Academy, she believes he would also think Nog never rising past Lieutenant is “mega bulls—.”