It seems like the episode is going to focus on Goku, as he fights Ribrianne, but even that is but an appetizer to the episode's main course: Gohan vs. Jimeze. While Gohan knows what Jimeze can do, it still doesn't help him much as Jimeze's teleport spam is beyond Gohan's ability to keep up. I was expecting this to be another instance where he uses his wits to win a fight where he's at a disadvantage, but alas, he's never really given the opportunity.
Much like how Roshi received back up from an unlikely source in the last episode, so too does Gohan receive similar reinforcements from an even more unlikely source: Frieza.
Not surprisingly, the aid isn't as clear cut. While Frieza does interrupt the fight to give Gohan a chance to catch his breath, the tyrant immediately stands aside to let the fight resume. It makes you wonder why he even bothered; that is until he interrupts again when it seems like Gohan is about to be defeated.
While Gohan could barely land a hit against the Yardrat, the fight with Frieza goes the exact opposite. Even when Jimeze is, for all intents and purposes, defeated, Frieza keeps the pain coming. It looks like Frieza aims to kill him, but he notes that he's not stupid and intentionally misses vital organs with his attacks. When Jimeze is on the brink, Frieza finally boots him out.
Naturally, this draws nothing but contempt from the other universes. I'd argue that it's not fair to judge the whole universe on him, but they already bore some resentment towards universe 7. Frieza just gives them more reason to feel that way.
In a surprising (yet not so surprising) twist, Frieza turns on Gohan. It's not surprising, as this is Frieza; yet even Beerus notes that eliminating Gohan puts him in danger. After some speculation, the eliminated fighters deduce that Frieza aims to be the last remaining fighter in order to make a wish with the super dragon balls. It's not clear what his wish would be, but it would likely involve the gods being destroyed.
The reveal itself was very well done. The fact that we see Beerus legitimately afraid for his life really shows the threat that this development poses. On top of that, Beerus is powerless to stop it. He tries to dish out threats, but all he can do is cross his fingers and hope for the best.
This proves hard to do, as Frost joins in to make Gohan's dilemma even more daunting. It seems the two villains have bonded over their shared grudge against saiyans and are now working together.
I did find it funny how Frost refers to Frieza as "sempai". I've seen the term used facetiously so many times that it caught me off guard. The fact that Frost is using it unironically (I think? It's possible it was a stealth jab, it's hard to say) made it even stranger for me.
While Frieza does offer to let Frost fight Gohan, the latter defers and we get a face off between Frieza and Gohan. Both go to full power, and while Gohan holds his own, it seems like Frieza is about to eliminate one of universe 7's top tier contenders.
Before that, though, Frieza and Frost chew the fat a little. Frost voices his admiration for the level that Frieza has hit, while Frieza offers him some pointers on how to tap into his own power. It is during this palaver, that Frieza blasts Frost out of the ring. Can I just say, "called it"?
Even Gohan knew what was up and played along. It was a nice bit of unspoken teamwork. I suppose that as many times as they've confronted each other, it makes sense that they can read each other's signals to this extent.
The fact that Frost was legit in his friendship was rather surprising, but it turns out that Frieza does, in fact, view Frost as an amateur. He even goes so far as to flat out say this to Frost after the latter is sent to the bench.
Suffice it to say, Frost doesn't take this well. The fact that he was betrayed is a sting on its own, but the insult ends up being what ultimately provokes him into attempting a retaliatory beam attack. Before he can, though, the Zen'os erase him as outside attacks are against the rules.
Considering how easily swayed the deities are, it was nice to see them put their foot down. They even warn universe 6 that if something like that happens again, the whole universe will be erased.
As noted, the first half wasn't all that impressive. It was nice to get a glimpse of the grander chaos that would be a big brawl fight, but the episode really found its groove when it put the focus on Gohan.
Frieza was fun to watch as always and the episode gave him more than a few highlights. Even though he played nice this time, it's still very likely that the suggested ulterior motive still applies and that he's going to be a problem for the main characters later on down the line.
There's no episode next week, but the week after we get two episodes in one go. While the closing narration suggests that it will focus on Goku battling Ribrianne, the titles and preview tell us that he will be facing off against Jiren. It's kind of surprising that they're getting to that showdown this early. There are still a lot of fighters left, though that match up alone could last more than a few episodes, so we'll have to see how it plays out.
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