Star Trek: Discovery honors the late Aron Eisenberg with a special Easter egg in “Die Trying”

Aron Eisenberg as Nog in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine

NOVEMBER 13, 2020 - Alex Kurtzman and the Star Trek team have made good on a promise to honor the late Aron Eisenberg by including an understated tribute to him in the latest episode of Star Trek: Discovery. Please note there are some minor spoilers ahead.

Eisenberg was the actor behind Nog, one of the main cast of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. He sadly passed away last September at the age of 50. His death was met with an outpouring of grief from the Star Trek community, who banded together to petition for a Captain Nog statue on the grounds of Starfleet Academy, in what at the time was the upcoming season of Star Trek: Picard. Nog is a significant character to many fans, notably for his journey to become the first Ferengi in Starfleet, and later for his experience on the path to recovering from the trauma of losing a leg in battle.

At New York Comic Con in 2019, when Star Trek boss Alex Kurtzman was asked by a fan about the Captain Nog statue petition, Kurtzman answered, “We saw that petition, and obviously we would love to honor Aron in any way possible — so we will look for every opportunity.”

Now TrekCore.com have put together some screenshots and explanations of how Kurtzman and the team did just that.

In one of the early scenes of Discovery season three, episode five, “Die Trying”, the camera pans past a starship bearing the registry NCC-325070, the U.S.S. Nog. TrekCore reached out to Kurtzman about the ship, and he confirmed that it was in honor of Eisenberg. TrekCore also further confirmed that the ship bearing the name is an Eisenberg-class starship.

The U.S.S. Nog, NCC-325070. Image TrekCore

Closeup of the U.S.S. Nog, NCC-325070. Image TrekCore

“We promised to honor the legacy of both Nog and the late Aron Eisenberg,” Kurtzman said, “and it seemed fitting to name a starship after a character who exemplified the possibility of resilience after a period of darkness. Hopefully we’ll see more of the U.S.S. Nog as it helps Starfleet build a brighter future.”

TrekCore also reached out to Eisenberg’s widow, Malíssa Longo, about the tribute, and she said, “I am thrilled to learn that Nog will be honored in [Discovery]. Nog was a trailblazer in DS9. I have no doubt that he would have left a lasting impression on the Federation. It is beautiful to know that he will be remembered. Nog deserves nothing less. So does our beloved Aron. Captain Nog forever!”

Once again, if you’d like to see the starship tribute to Aron Eisenberg for yourself, just head to CBS All Access for Star Trek: Discovery season three episode five, “Die Trying”.