Warning: SPOILERS for Star Trek: Discovery Season 4, Episode 3 - "Choose To Live".
Although Star Trek: Picard introduced the Qowat Milat, Star Trek: Discovery is doing a better job exploring the ancient society of Romulan warrior nuns. Star Trek: Discovery season 4 is set in the 32nd century - 800 years after the ending of Star Trek: Picard season 1. However, Star Trek: Discovery season 3 revealed the Qowat Milat survived into the year 3189 and they now share Ni'Var, the planet formerly known as Vulcan, with the Romulans and the Vulcans.
The Qowat Milat debuted in Star Trek: Picard season 1 as the enduring enemies of the Romulan Tal Shiar and their extremist, android-hating offshoot, the Zhat Vash. Admiral Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) befriended the Qowat Milat during the United Federation of Planets' efforts to save the Romulan people from their sun going supernova. After the Federation rescinded their mission, the Qowat Milat was integral in saving hundreds of thousands of Romulans and evacuating them to the planet Vashti. Admiral Picard described the Qowat Milat as "the most skilled single-combat fighters I have ever seen," and Star Trek: Picard introduced the core tenets of the Romulan warrior nuns, including their practice of speaking with "absolute candor" and their law of binding their sword to a lost cause.
Star Trek: Discovery season 3 surprised both audiences and Commander Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green) by revealing her mother, Gabrielle (Sonja Sohn), joined the Qowat Milat in the 32nd century. Gabrielle and the Qowat Milat returned in Star Trek: Discovery season 4, episode 3, "Choose To Live," which was an even deeper exploration of what it means to be a Qowat Milat than Star Trek: Picard season 1 offered. As the Burnhams and Lt. Sylvia Tilly (Mary Wiseman) joined forces to hunt down J'Vini (Ayesha Mansur Gonsalves), a rogue member of the Qowat Milat, Tilly learned how "absolute candor" could best apply to her life. Further, Captain Burnham, Tilly, and Gabrielle learned J'Vini stole dilithium and murdered a Starfleet Officer because she bound herself to the "lost cause" of protecting a helpless alien race, which turned out to be a noble pursuit that Discovery's heroes helped the Romulan nun complete.
Star Trek: Picard season 1 took Jean-Luc to the planet Vashti and examined the Qowat Milat culture through the Starfleet Admiral's eyes, but the series' primary Qowat Milat member is Elnor (Eva Evagora). Despite being raised by and trained as a Qowat Milat, Elnor is male and remains an outsider who can never truly be one of the Romulan warrior nuns. By contrast, Star Trek: Discovery shows the Qowat Milat nuns at the peak of their abilities. Discovery also underscores the Qowat Milat's importance as peacekeepers to the unified but still volatile coexistence of the 32nd century's Romulans and Vulcans on Ni'Var. Indeed, Star Trek: Discovery even appropriated the Qowat Milat's catchphrase, "choose to live," as the title of season 4, episode 3.
Further, it was an ingenious move by Star Trek: Discovery to make Gabrielle Burnham a member of the Qowat Milat. This allows for a richer examination of the culture of the Romulan warrior nuns from a character who is both an insider to the Qowat Milat but still not a Romulan. It's also a fascinating turn that Michael Burnham was raised on Vulcan after she believed she was orphaned. A thousand years later, her birth mother Gabrielle now resides on Ni'Var, the former Vulcan, and is immersed in the three societies of Romulan, Vulcan, and Qowat Milat.
The Qowat Milat is also more interesting when juxtaposed against 32nd-century Federation Starfleet's rules and regulations. The Romulan warrior nuns' esoteric ways contrast nicely against the methods of Captain Burnham and the Federation. This is something Star Trek: Picard couldn't really offer since Jean-Luc's motley crew aboard La Sirena was not part of Starfleet. With Star Trek: Picard season 2 delving into time travel and alternate realities, it's unclear whether they will continue to explore the Qowat Milat. This is why it's so rewarding that Star Trek: Discovery made the Qowat Milat a part of the 32nd century-set series and is doing a better job continuing the cause Star Trek: Picard season 1 began.
Star Trek: Discovery Season 4 streams Thursdays on Paramount+.