Star Trek: 10 Things You Didn't Know About Nog

9. Literary Inspirations

Catch 22 Milo Minderbinder Daniel David Stewart
Hulu

The seventh season episode Treachery, Faith, And The Great River is a stand-out story for Nog, drawing inspiration from Joseph Heller's Catch 22. Though Nog's story is the B-plot of the episode, its comedic tone draws from a satire of the American Dream.

Nog's plot is inspired by Milo Minderbinder, an extreme idol of capitalism in Heller's novel. Nog uses a complicated system of bartering in an attempt to get O'Brien the parts that he needs, though he loses Martok's blood wine and Sisko's desk along the way.

In Catch 22, Minderbinder uses a similar system of bartering and sales to, at least initially, improve food conditions in the officers' mess. His scheme to source higher quality eggs lands him in front of a tribunal, by which point his assets had grown to rival that of the U.S. Government.

Nog's version of this story is played for straight laughs, though it is perhaps the closest he had ever been to becoming a true Ferengi businessman.

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Seán is the host and head writer/presenter for TrekCulture, as well as a writer/presenter on WhoCulture and WhatCulture Horror. He has authored two novels, dozens of short stories, and hundreds of articles for WhatCulture. He holds a Master of Arts in Creative Writing from University College Dublin. As part of his work with TrekCulture, Seán has been invited to participate in collaborations with Roddenberry Entertainment, as well as contributing to several Star Trek community projects. An avid fan of Star Trek, Doctor Who, and the horror genre at large, Seán's expertise has helped develop these channels to the successes they are today. As host of the Ups & Downs series on TrekCulture, Seán has become internationally recognised for his positive yet critically informed approach to reviewing every episode of modern Star Trek, ensuring he is one of the go-to voices in the Trek community. Favourite Quote to describe himself: "I'm serious about what I do, just not always about the way that I do it"