It's a fairly slim plot hook, but it does manage to build up tension as the clock is ticking and the universe is on the line.
Much like last episode, this one jumps around to give us glimpses into the other universes. It's good to see them, but as this episode doesn't have the "high priest talks to Zen-O" back drop, it ends up being jumpier. It also becomes a detriment as there are some universes that haven't been established. Just seeing the kais and gods of destruction isn't really enough to determine where we are just yet. Even just a little text card or narration would have gone a long way. Thankfully, the dialogue addresses this, but it could have been smoother.
We do check in on universes 6 and 11 again, but we also see universe 3 as they literally assemble their warriors. Said fighters will be robots that are custom designed to stay in the ring with such assets as claws and suction cups to keep them in the ring. They talk as if the fighters can hang outside of the ring, climb back in, and not get disqualified; but I don't think it works that way. I guess the claws and suction cups can still be used on the ground to keep the fighters in the ring, but if they're banking on being able to climb back into the ring after being knocked out, they might be in for a rude awakening.
Universe 11 provides an endearing moment as Toppo and the general are concerned about who is going to act as the universe's protector while they're gone. Even though the scene is brief, it goes a long way to show how these characters are heroes through and through. Fortunately, they have a team of young rookie recruits who are willing to step up. It's like "Dragon Ball" meets "Young Justice".
I think for most, though, the real show stealer is going to be the universe 6 segment, where Cabba trains Caulifla in the ways of becoming a super saiyan. A part of me wants to say that she learned a bit too quickly (though her transformation doesn't come without some struggle,) but Cabba, Goten, and Trunks didn't seem to have any trouble so that just seems to be the way of things now.
Some might also be disappointed that it upstages Kale, who was heavily hyped as the one to don the title of first female super saiyan. She's still clearly going to turn anyway, so I guess it doesn't hurt to have two. It'll be interesting to see how Caulifla reacts when she sees her shy protege take things to a completely different level.
Back on universe 7, the team gets dealt another blow as Goku's bluff about a prize is revealed by Gohan and Piccolo, as are the true stakes of the tournament. To Goku's credit, he does offer to pay anybody out of his own pocket, though Vegeta points out that Chichi controls the finances.
Goku does, rather politely, ask Bulma, but she refuses. Well, initially anyway. She does eventually cave, though it is pocket change to her family. Of course, it was kind of superfluous as Beerus threatened to kill anyone who backed out anyway.
This still leaves the team one short. The easy solution would have been to toss Buu into the hyperbolic time chamber, but Vegeta, master strategist that he is, blew it up again while training. So much for that plan.
Thankfully (?) Beerus' ranting gives Goku an idea: recruit Frieza to be their tenth. It's unclear if this is just a red herring or if this is a legit substitution, but I'm hoping it's the prior. Besides the fact that Frieza can't be trusted, it seemed like Buu was a better asset. His power set is more versatile and at the very least, he can act as the team tank/meat shield, taking the hard hits and shrugging them off to keep the less powerful fighters on their feet. Of course, this could amount to nothing, so it's hard to really weigh in at this point.
All in all, this episode was OK. It was nice to see the other universes and flesh them out more before the big showdown, but covering so many leads to very little plot progression on any given front. At the very least, we do get our first female super saiyan and everyone is up to speed regarding the tournament, so there are some highlights to be had.
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