I was expecting to see the two enemies (Goku and Frieza) fighting side by side against the army of assassins, but the tyrant ends up doing most of the fighting. Goku only gets involved when the assassins try to target Baba for leverage. It showcases the fact that Frieza has not only gotten stronger, but has also used mental exercises to overcome the stamina issues that plagued him back in the 'Resurrection F' arc. With Frieza so powerful, you'd think Goku would be giddy, but the look on his face is one bordering on horror.
You can't blame him either, the whole episode is basically "this was a terrible idea and things are only going to get worse from here".
Now, part of Goku's horror could just be the rampant murder (and the subsequent sadistic glee that Frieza takes in it) but I'd venture to guess that it's a little bit of both. The fact that Frieza makes a valid point about the assassins' lives being moot since their universe will be wiped out anyway only adds salt to the wound.
Yes, the two do manage to deduce not only that the assassins are from another universe, but from which specific one. It does lead to an odd hiccup where the assassins boast about how they are under no obligation to talk....and then proceed to basically spell it out for them. The only attempt at deceit comes from their talk about being a universe of brutes, which would suggest universe 10, though that's not information that Goku or Frieza are privy to; thus it was a bit on the pointless side.
Now, the gods of universe 9 aren't stupid, they do give the assassins a fighting chance in the form of a sample of Sidra's energy. Hit any living thing with it, and they'll be erased from existence completely.
Sadly (though not surprisingly) it doesn't work. It shows what highs the villain has hit when not only can he push back power from a god of destruction, but he even jokes about it; pretending it's killing him for a few seconds before dropping the facade.
Not only that, but Frieza doesn't hesitate to trap Goku in the energy. The back stab isn't surprising, though initially confusing. You'd think that Frieza's desire for self preservation would trump even his desire to kill Goku.
He does address this by trying to bargain with the gods of universe 9 to become a member of their team. It allows him to kill Goku, gives those gods their desired downfall of universe 7, and assures his resurrection.
It's a solid, though clearly sinister, pitch. The gods of universe 9 do give it serious consideration. First, they have to make sure that it is allowed; which, oddly enough, it is. Or, to be more specific, it isn't against the rules. It kind of defeats the purpose of the whole thing if this is the case in my opinion, but at least they checked that before making their decision.
Roh is actually against this. He's an asshole, but he's not 100% a dick. Frieza, on the other hand, clearly is. Roh is appalled at the fact that Frieza is selling out his own universe and cites that even evil people have things that they want or want to protect. Frieza says that is not the case. In Sidra's opinion, that just makes him a perfect candidate for their team.
It becomes a moot point as Frieza's offer is rendered null and void by circumstances back on Earth.
Remember that destruction god energy that Goku was trapped in? Goku is unable to get out. It's surprising considering that he and Frieza are generally on an even keel. The fact that Frieza could do it and Goku couldn't shows where the two are now. More than that, overcoming and enduring situations like this is usually Goku's strong suit. It was surprising to see him lose this one. It's only because Beerus and Whis show up to bail him out that Goku is able to live to see another day.
Beerus isn't too pleased with the development, but Goku tries to take the blame, if only to keep Frieza on the team.
The two decide to settle the matter with a sort of duel. First one to land a punch wins. If Goku wins, Frieza plays nice; if Frieza wins, he can do whatever. Shock of all shocks, it ends in a tie, with both landing a punch simultaneously.
The thing that threw me about this scene was the telepathic conversation the two seem to have. Neither one of their mouths move, but they are able to respond to the other's thoughts. You could argue that the two know each other so well that they can do this, but even that seems like a stretch. If the two were just thinking on their own, that would be one thing. It plays out like dialogue, though. Maybe they were muttering it between their teeth? It doesn't seem like it. The whole thing was rather strange, regardless.
Oh, also, the tournament ring is finally done. Not only is it an indicator that the tournament is finally coming, but we can finally put those construction animation sequences to bed.
As I stated at the article's opening, I loved this episode. It was simple and straight forward in terms of plot, but there were so many great "oh crap" moments and the episode had such a high HSQ that it was a blast to watch.
I remember back in the latter half of "Z" and throughout "GT", I scoffed when they tried to bring Frieza back. The fighters left him in the dust, he was just a relic of a bygone era. I thought the 'Resurrection F' gave him a good showing (at least in terms of sadistic malevolence,) but this is the episode that truly blows that idea out of the water. The way he's depicted here reminds you why he's one of the franchise's definitive big bads. He's just so evil that it's both creepy and kind of awesome. His display of power is simply jaw dropping and it's going to be really interesting to see how he fares as universe 7's tenth member going forward.
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