Did Guinan EVER did or said something useful?

[xvicente]

besides running the bar? (and even at that she was only hallf good: the bar didnt have alcohol)

But seriously guys: She seemed to know much about Q and the Borg and other stuff that caused so much pain (at least she appeared to know) but everytime poor Picard, in a dire, could use some information, she was all like oooh, I'm the mystery woman, some things you have to learn yourself.

I like Whoopi Goldberg as much as everyone else, but phew

 

[Third Nacelle]

Ummm... seen Yesterday's Enterprise recently?

Guinan's main purpose as a character is to be someone outside the chain-of-command to whom the main characters can confide or get her advice. She also provides Picard with a friend who's not under his command. By virtue of her position and her age, she's able to see things from the outside and understand the big picture in ways the other characters can't.

And she gives Worf prune juice!

 

[Tosk]

Guinan sais useful things all the time. Her role wasn't "problem solver"...she ran Ten Forward. Her personal advice helped characters often.

 

[Lt. Uhura-Brown]

I always wondered what her history was with Q, and how she'd ever be able to hold her own in a battle with a seemingly near-omnipotent entity.

 

[M'rk son of Mogh]

She basically told Riker what he needed to hear to defeat Locutus and get Picard back.

Maybe you're not watching TNG, but "The View"?? Maybe?

 

[SonicRanger]

What about her chat with Picard in "Measure of a Man"?

 

[Retu]

She stuck a fork on Q's hand.

 

[CorporalCaptain]

Did Guinan EVER did or said something useful?

Yes (examples already cited in thread).

the bar didnt have alcohol

No, the bar had a limited supply of alcohol. See Relics.

 

[MikeS]

I always remember the time she corrected Ensign Vicente's grammar. She ever did something useful in that episode.

 

[xvicente]

the bar didnt have alcohol

No, the bar had a limited supply of alcohol. See Relics.

that was clearly the exception, not the rule.

 

[Jeyl]

Did Guinan EVER did or said something useful besides running the bar??

She could form a sentence.

Yes. She does do a lot of useful things in the series. When she sensed that the time line had changed in "Yesterdays Enterprise", she immediately brought it to Picard's attention in the best she could. She didn't play the mystery role by telling Picard "Hey, things are different. You should figure it out." And even though she didn't bring up the Borg in "Q Who" until the Enterprise encountered them, she did warn Picard to leave before that would happen. Would telling Picard about the Borg make any difference since Picard's mindset to any creature in the galaxy was "We are ready to encounter it!"?

More importantly, she says things that most heroes (and even writers) never get to hear. In "The Best of Both Worlds Par 1", Picard actually contemplates on the thought of the Federation losing this battle and it resulting in the end of humanity.

GUINAN: This isn't the end.
PICARD: You say that with remarkable assuredness.
GUINAN: With experience. When the Borg destroyed my world, my people scattered throughout the universe. We survived. As will humanity survive. As long as there's a handful of you to keep the spirit alive, you will prevail. Even if it takes a millennium.

It's a great line that never seems to hold any kind of relevance to stories like this one. It's all about doing what it takes to prevent something that humanity occupies as if that's the "be all end all" thing of our existence. Even if the Borg did destroy Earth, humanity still has other worlds, other allies and the potential to be great again.

I also don't think her role as bartender demeans her character in the slightest. It just happens to be a job that she enjoys doing, and what better job is there for a species of "listeners" to have?

 

[Portal]

She beat Worf at the phaser range.

 

[Gaith]

She brought Picard to Kirk.

 

[CorporalCaptain]

the bar didnt have alcohol

No, the bar had a limited supply of alcohol. See Relics.

that was clearly the exception, not the rule.

Hence the word "limited".

 

[sevenstars]

She wore that hat. Just the sight of that hat makes me feel calmer about everything.

 

[Richard Baker]

I always thought her 'unique' hat had a purpose- like her head was not entirely earth-normal and there was a cluster of antenna or a disk shaped structure it was designed to conceal.
I was disappointed when I found out it was just a peculiar choice of hats...

 

[Tora Ziyal]

IIRC, the real-world reason for the big hats was to hide Goldberg's dreadlocks, because they were so distinctively Whoopi Goldberg.

 

[Chensams]

She gave Welsey sage advice from time to time.

 

[sevenstars]

That's a pretty low bar.

 

[marksound]

"Sometimes a man'll tell his bartender things he'll never tell his doctor."