History Recap / StarTrekDiscoveryS4E03ChooseToLive

* KarmaHoudini: J'Vini is ultimately extradited to Ni'var rather than facing justice at the hands of the Federation for attacking their ships, as the president is trying to smooth relations for Ni'var rejoining the Federation. Both Burnham and Vance are annoyed, but Vance treats it as a NecessaryEvil of {{realpolitik}}. That said, with Ni'var looking to rejoin the Federation (as well as the influence of Romulan society in Ni’vari culture), it's safe to assume that J’Vini will suffer some form of punishment for her actions to avoid upsetting the Federation.

* SheatheYourSword: Had Commander Fickett simply stopped fighting and let J'Vini take the dilithium, he would have stayed alive. It was only because he wouldn't stay down that she decides to kill him. That she coudl have incapacitated him instead is one of the reasons she is so harshly judged by the Federation.

* SheatheYourSword: Had Commander Fickett simply stopped fighting and let J'Vini take the dilithium, he would have stayed alive. It was only because he wouldn't stay down that she was forced to kill him.

* AmbiguousDisorder: Tilly's diagnosis has never been confirmed (or, for that matter, established as existing), but it becomes clear that she is very much a CreatureOfHabit. Her CharacterArc this episode is about breaking free of her comfort zone.

* DoesNotLikeSpam: Tilly tries macaroni and cheese, and finds it unpleasant.

* TheBait: Tilly is less than amused when Burnham tells her after Tilly has sabotaged the engines that she needs to stay exposed to draw out J'Vini.

* CouldHaveAvoidedThisPlot: While treated sympathetically, it's noted J'Vini could have legally obtained the dilithium required if she'd simply been willing to ask the Federation for help. She didn't because she wasn't willing to disclose the location of the Abronian moon for fear of them being targeted. She even notes that she did try asking for the dilithium, but the Federation rejected her for the entirely logical reason that she wouldn't say whom it was for, and the Federation doesn't hand it out on an individual basis.

* IOweYouMyLife: J'Vini was responsible for nursing Gabrielle back to health after she arrived in the future, so Gabrielle is convinced she owes J'Vini the chance to explain herself.

* MoralityChain: Gabrielle admits that she agreed to the joint mission with Starfleet because she knew if she found J'Vini alone Gabrielle would let her go, but Michael's presence would make sure she didn't.

* SheatheYourSword: Had Commander Fickett simply stopped fighting and let J'Vini take the dilithium he would have stayed alive. It was only because he wouldn't stay down that she was forced to kill him.

* ThatsNoMoon: The moon J'Vini is tracked to isn't just a moon. It's been hollowed-out and retrofitted into a SleeperStarship.

* ApologeticAttacker: J'Vini apologizes to the Commander Fickett of the ''Credence'' after killing him.

* BizarreAlienBiology: The aliens somehow naturally produce latinum in their bodies, making them almost literal walking piles of futuristic money. This is why J'Vini feels the need to protect them, because they are uniquely endangered by graverobbers.

* CouldHaveAvoidedThisPlot: While treated sympathetically, it's noted J'Vini could have legally obtained the dilithium required if she'd simply been willing to ask the Federation for help. She didn't because she wasn't willing to disclose the location of the alien moon for fear of them being targeted. She even notes that she did try asking for the dilithium, but the Federation rejected her for the entirely logical reason that she wouldn't say whom it was for, and the Federation doesn't hand it out on an individual basis.
* HomeworldEvacuation: The aliens in stasis turned their moon into an escape vessel to survive the destruction of their homeworld by a supernova.

* PlanetSpaceship: J'Vini's hideout appears to be on a lifeless moon, but it's actually a moon repurposed as a SleeperStarship.
* RousseauWasRight: in a grand ''Star Trek'' tradition, J'Vini is an AntiVillain, doing bad things (theft and murder) for good reasons (single-handedly ''saving an entire fucking species''). And, in grand ''Star Trek'' tradition, she agrees to be brought to justice for her crimes.

* TakeAThirdOption: J'Vini is trying to protect the aliens in stasis, and needs to be able to move their ship in case the anomaly comes. Burnham instead offers to repair the cryopod reactivation sequence so the aliens can move it themselves, freeing her of her obligation to them.

* ApologeticAttacker: The Qowat Milat thieves apologize to the commander of the ''Credence'' after killing him.

* KarmaHoudini: J'Vini is ultimately extradited to Ni'var rather than facing justice at the hands of the Federation for attacking their ships, as the president is trying to smooth relations for Ni'var rejoining the Federation. Both Burnham and Vance are annoyed, but Vance treats it as a NecessaryEvil of {{realpolitik}}.
** That said, with Ni’var looking to rejoin the Federation (as well as the influence of Romulan society in Ni’vari culture), it’s easy to assume that J’Vini will suffer some form of punishment for her actions. It just won’t be Federation justice for the murder of a Federation citizen.

* ThatsNoMoon: The moon J'Vini is tracked to isn't a moon at all, but an ancient starship.

'''Gabrielle:''' Paths end and change throughout everyone's life. When we say, "Choose to live," it's an abbreviated form of a longer saying: "The path you are on has come to an end. Choose to live." If you find yourself on the wrong end of a [[AmazonBrigade Qowat Milat]] [[AbsurdlySharpBlade sword]], it's pretty easy to see that particular path is over for you. You either move on to a new path and live... or you stay and die.

* TitleDrop: Given that the episode focuses on the Qowat Milat and that their {{catchphrase}} is the title, it's no surprise that it's spoken several times. Gabrielle goes into detail about its meaning at the end to Tilly, describing it as both a very literal death threat and a metaphor about choosing a new path in life.

* CouldHaveAvoidedThisPlot: While treated sympathetically, it's noted J'Vini could have legally obtained the dilithium required if she'd simply been willing to ask the Federation for help. She didn't because she wasn't willing to disclose the location of the alien moon for fear of them being targeted. She even notes that she did try asking for the dilithium, but the Federation rejected her for the entirely logical reason that she wouldn't say who it was for, and the Federation doesn't hand it out on an individual basis.

* TitleDrop: Given that the episode focuses on the Qowat Milat and that their {{catchphrase}} is the title, it's no surprise that it's spoken several times. Gabrielle goes into detail about its meaning at the end to Tilly, describing as both a very literal death threat and a metaphor about choosing a new path in life.

* CouldHaveAvoidedThisPlot: While treated sympathetically, it's noted J'Vini could have legally obtained the dilithium required if she'd simply been willing to ask the Federation for help. She didn't because she wasn't willing to disclose the location of the alien moon for fear of them being targeted.

* TitleDrop: Given that the episode focuses on the Qowat Milat and that their {{catchphrase}} is the title, it's no surprise that it's spoken several times.

* KarmaHoudini: J'Vini is ultimately extradited to Ni'var rather than facing justice at the hands of the Federation for attacking their ships, as the president is trying to smooth relations for Ni'var rejoining the Federation. Both Burnham and Vance are annoyed, but Vance treats it as a NecessaryEvil of politics.

A rogue Qowat Milat nun is attacking Starfleet vessels for dilithium, so Burnham joins her mother in apprehending her. Meanwhile, Stamets and Book continue their investigation.