5 Ways Patti Yasutake's Nurse Ogawa Was Important To Star Trek: TNG

Summary The late Patti Yasutake played Nurse Ogawa, a competent and skilled medical officer on Star Trek: The Next Generation.

Ogawa was relatable and served as a loyal friend to Dr. Beverly Crusher, offering support and friendship.

Ogawa's character helped pave the way for Asian women in Star Trek, showcasing representation and positive role modeling.

Nurse Alyssa Ogawa (Patti Yasutake) was one of Star Trek: The Next Generation's best recurring characters. Following the adventures of Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) and the USS Enterprise-D, TNG featured numerous secondary and recurring characters beyond the main cast. While some, like John de Lancie's Q, were larger than life and impossible to forget, others nicely rounded out the Enterprise crew. Introduced in an alternate future in Star Trek: The Next Generation season 4, episode 8, "Future Imperfect," Patti Yasutake's Nurse Ogawa appeared in 16 episodes of TNG and two feature films.

As one of the head nurses in Sickbay assisting Dr. Beverly Crusher (Gates McFadden), Ogawa aided in some of the USS Enterprise-D's most significant medical missions. While Alyssa may not have spent much time on dangerous away missions, Ogawa offered a glimpse into life as a lower-level crew member on the Enterprise. Ogawa's friendships with Dr. Crusher and her fellow lower deckers made her one of Star Trek: The Next Generation's most relatable characters. Tragically, actress Patti Yasutake passed away from cancer at the age of 70 on August 5, 2024. Here are 5 reasons why Nurse Ogawa will always be remembered as one of TNG's best recurring characters.

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5 Nurse Ogawa Was A Competent & Skilled Medical Officer

Ogawa was intelligent and very good at her job.

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After her introduction in Star Trek: The Next Generation season 4, Nurse Ogawa proved herself as one of Dr. Crusher's most accomplished medical assistants. She helped Dr. Crusher stop the alien parasites that were causing a metamorphosis in Lt. Commander Geordi La Forge (LeVar Burton) in TNG's "Identity Crisis." She also aided in the first Federation transfer of a Trill symbiont in TNG's "The Host."

Nurse Ogawa helped Dr. Crusher use the experimental genetronic replicator on Lt. Worf (Michael Dorn) after he was paralyzed in "Ethics." She also assisted in important autopsies and helped treat various Enterprise crew members, including Captain Picard. Even beyond the 16 Star Trek: The Next Generation episodes Ogawa appeared in, she was mentioned several times throughout the series, and Ogawa climbed quickly through the ranks.

When she was first introduced, Nurse Ogawa was an Ensign, but she became a Lieutenant by Star Trek: First Contact.

4 Nurse Ogawa Was One Of Star Trek: TNG's Most Relatable Characters

Ogawa's presence on the Enterprise helped the ship feel more lived in.

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Nurse Ogawa often spoke about her dating life with Dr. Crusher, offering a glimpse into the social lives of the Enterprise-D's crew members. Ogawa dated a couple of her Enterprise crew mates before she began seeing Lt. Andrew Powell, whom she later married. In Star Trek: The Next Generation season 7, episode 15, "Lower Decks," Ogawa joined her friends for games of poker, as they discussed their hopes for promotions.

In "Lower Decks," Dr. Crusher decides to recommend Ogawa for a promotion and shows the nurse an injured Cardassian in sickbay. Despite her friends' curiosity about the covert mission involving their friend Ensign Sito Jaxa (Shannon Fill), Ogawa does not reveal any details. When Sito is killed in the line of duty, Ogawa mourns her loss and assures Lt. Sam Lavelle (Dan Gauthier) that Sito would be proud of his promotion.

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3 Nurse Ogawa Was A Loyal Friend To Dr. Beverly Crusher

Ogawa stuck by Beverly when she needed a friend.

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Not only was Nurse Ogawa close with several of her fellow ensigns and lieutenants, she was also a loyal friend to Dr. Beverly Crusher. Ogawa sometimes acted as a sounding board for Dr. Crusher, helping her navigate difficult decisions, and she proved herself to be a particularly loyal friend. In Star Trek: The Next Generation season 6, episode 22, "Suspicions," Dr. Crusher becomes convinced that the death of the Ferengi scientist Dr. Reyga (Peter Slutsker) was murder rather than suicide.

Dr. Crusher performs an autopsy on Reyga despite direct orders not to do so, forcing Captain Picard to remove her from duty. At the risk of her own career, Nurse Ogawa helps Crusher access the autopsy reports and take another look at one of the bodies. Ogawa has clearly come to trust Beverly as both a doctor and a friend, and she helps her because, as she says, "[she] can see how important this is to [Crusher]."

2 Nurse Ogawa & Her Baby Saved The USS Enterprise-D Crew

Ogawa proved instrumental in saving the crew in TNG's "Genesis."

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While Nurse Ogawa undoubtedly helped save many lives aboard the USS Enterprise-D as a nurse, Alyssa unknowingly helped save the entire ship while she was pregnant. In Star Trek: The Next Generation season 7, episode 19, "Genesis," Captain Picard and Lt. Commander Data (Brent Spiner) return to the Enterprise to find the crew members have de-evolved. Dr. Crusher and Nurse Ogawa had tried to stop the process, but had been unable to before they were affected themselves.

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After discovering the perfectly healthy kittens of his cat, Spot, Data determines that the antibodies in amniotic fluid could reverses the de-evolution process. The pregnant Ogawa has partially transformed into an ape, but she still proves instrumental in saving the Enterprise. Thanks to Ogawa and her unborn child, Data successfully creates a retrovirus and restores everyone to normal.

1 Nurse Ogawa Helped Pave The Way For Asian Women In Star Trek

Ogawa served as a positive role model for young women.

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With its optimistic depiction of the future, Star Trek has always celebrated representation on screen. Like Nichelle Nichols Lt. Uhura before her, Nurse Ogawa helped pave the way for women not only in Star Trek, but also in science fiction in general. As a skilled nurse and a great friend, Ogawa served as a positive representative for Asian women, but her story was not centered on her identity as an Asian.

Following in the footsteps of characters like Nurse Ogawa and Keiko O'Brien (Rosalind Chao), Malaysian actress Michelle Yeoh stars as Emperor Philippa Georgiou in the upcoming Star Trek: Section 31.

Compassionate and caring, Ogawa smiled often, and never hesitated to jump in when someone needed help. Despite only appearing as a relatively minor recurring character, she felt like a whole person with a story outside of what was shown. Throughout her journey on Star Trek: The Next Generation, Patti Yasutake imbued Nurse Alyssa Ogawa with humanity and heart, and she will always be remembered as an important member of the Star Trek family.