One could argue that this was just a way to eat up time without having to animate a whole lot, but I honestly appreciated getting the rundown. As I said before, I would have liked to have gotten that information the last time, so I had no qualms about them finally delivering on a brief status update.
From there, the episode cuts to the remaining universe 11 fighters as they are challenged by a fighter from universe 3 named Maji Kayo. He's the liquid fighter that was giving Goku some trouble back when Roshi was going through his gauntlet. His power set if very much akin to Majin Buu in that he can regenerate instantly without taking damage and can manipulate and contort his body to become a nigh-unstoppable living weapon.
It would have been interesting to see those two face off, but I can understand why the writers decided to throw in Frieza in Buu's place if they were going to use him. The power sets are a bit redundant.
Kayo does manage to get the drop on Dyspo, but Jiren effortlessly eliminates the fighter using only the "force push" of one of his punches. Even Goku, who is located elsewhere, picked up on what happened and seems stunned at the display.
It seems this was a bit of a detour as we jump again, this time to Roshi. His respite is, alas interrupted, by Frost who has the old man in his metaphorical cross hairs as he seems to be on his last leg.
To his credit, Roshi puts up a relatively good fight all things considered. It isn't enough, and the old master is forced to use the Mafuba again.
You kind of figure that it wouldn't work, though the episode holds the tension just long enough to make you think it was possible...but it wasn't. Roshi's energy reserves were too depleted and Frost remains outside the bottle.
Interestingly, his reaction was very much akin to Zamasu's when Future Trunks hit him with the same attack. Frost looks absolutely mortified at what he went through. It really makes you wonder just what the hell is in that bottle or what it feels like being in that wave. Judging by those two, I can't imagine it's anything good.
In any event, Frost proceeds to dish out some payback. It gets a bit brutal, which isn't surprising, though Vegeta eventually enters the fray. This is partially due to the fact that Frost goaded him a little, but Vegeta just doesn't like Frost in general. He even makes a point of telling Roshi this, lest the old man concludes that Vegeta came to his aid out of general concern or even a sense tactical teamwork and support.
Vegeta has the upper hand, but Frost isn't without tricks of his own as he somehow summons Magetta to back him up. As was the case with Bergamo, Frost and Magetta make a formidable pair and they give the saiyan prince a run for his money.
It gets to the point where Roshi contemplates using the Mafuba again. It's a terrible idea, given the risk; so, of course, he goes and does it. He doesn't botch it, exactly, but Frost is able to somehow gain control of the wave and redirect it towards Vegeta. You'd think that Roshi being too exhausted to do it before would mean that Vegeta would be fine, but nope, it works like a charm this time. I guess Frost picked up the slack. I did find it a little weird that Roshi targeted Magetta with it. The metal man never really came off as evil to me, though it's a moot point as the result would have likely been the same.
You'd think that this would be a major wham moment for the story line. One of universe 7's strongest fighters is out of commission. This totally tips the scales in the favor of other universes. Unfortunately, the episode can't hold the tension for more than a minute before Roshi frees Vegeta.
It was nice to see Vegeta back in action and seeing him knock Magetta out was kinda glorious, but it still seems like a missed opportunity. Keeping him trapped for say, a couple of episodes, could have really upped the stakes for a while before he did eventually get free.
Dirty coward that he is, Frost ninja-vanishes in a puff of smoke. With that taken care of, Vegeta tells Roshi to drop out and get a senzu bean before he dies. It initially looks like Roshi willingly complies, though we later see that he fell unconscious. A senzu bean heals him right up, so he's fine. He even managed to earn Beerus' respect, so good on him.
All in all, this was another solid episode. Frost got a good showing and really played up the manipulative coward aspect of his character. There were some fumbles here and there, but I was always engaged in what was happening and we did see a few more fighters get eliminated. There's only 30 minutes and about 30 fighters left in the tournament. Between fatigue and the caliber of fighters, it will likely be a rough go for the heroes of universe 7, but we'll see how things play out.
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