'Jessica Jones' Season 2, Episode 1: 'AKA Start at the Beginning'

The Defenders return!! Well, a defender returns.  Yes, the second season of Jessica Jones hit Netflix  a while back and we're finally diving into it.  Much like with Daredevil, we're starting from the second season because the second season of that show is when these write ups started to begin with. 

The second season of this series gets off to a rather strong start.  True, Jessica starts off feeling a bit flat just because she's still drinking and pushing those closest to her away.  Thankfully, over the course of the episode, her arc starts to begin in earnest.

The first season used IGH as a sequel hook and this episode hints that it will be the main focus.  Not only is it a good way to escalate things, but it also allows us to explore Jessica's origin.  We know the jist, but it seems like there's more to what happened. 

This gives Jessica a more personal stake, gives us more info on her background, and also allows her traumatic past to come to the forefront.  Ritter brings her A-game here, as Jessica is frequently shaken and even teary eyed at various points in the episode.  Either because she is that adamant about letting the past stay buried (despite Trish's well-intentioned protests), or because she saw a fellow super get crushed to death.  While Jess is acerbic and isolationist, it allows the viewer to connect to and feel for the character, as her emotional anguish is palpable. 

That said, this episode is also the most comic book-y to date.  Jessica encounters another powered person who says that something is hunting them  Some may like it, others won't.  I thought it made it feel more established in the MCU, but it is kind of jarring going from Jessica's binge drinking and denial to a goofy chase around the office with a paranoid speedster.  I totally get the argument that it's out of place in this show, but we'll see where it goes.  I'm OK with the show playing into the setting more.  Frankly, it's always weird to see people skeptical of things after everything that's happened since Tony Stark first made his debut as a superhero. 

Speaking of superhero, the episode devotes a lot of time to showing Jessica outright denouncing the title.  It's a bit weird that everyone used the exact term "vigilante superhero".  I'd think people would lean towards one or the other, but it does make for some nice character moments.  Jess doesn't really fit the "superhero" profile, clearly, and her offense at being called a vigilante makes sense.  While she doesn't always succeed, she does try to work within legal parameters.  You even see it in "Defenders".

As far as plot, there is the IGH stuff, but beyond that, the only real antagonist is a rival PI who offers to buy out Alias Investigations.  He's smug, but you can't help but feel like he's in the right when he talks about suing Jessica after she beats him up.  Yeah, he provoked her, but at the same time, it seems like a winnable law suit.  He's also not wrong in pointing out that the slap on the wrist was a bit too light. 

Even though Cox's name wasn't in the credits, it seemed like it would've been a great cameo to have him be the one representing her.  I guess they figured it would just be a rehash of how they met, but it still seems like a missed opportunity. 

Speaking of, Rand gets name-dropped and there's one mention of "the others" (re: vigilante superheroes) but there's no real mention of the Defenders.  On the one hand, the public at large wouldn't know about those events so I kind of get it, but you'd think that Trish would point out that Jessica saved the city not too long ago or that Jess' ego would get a boost.  I mean, taking down an ancient cult of ninjas is a pretty impressive feat. 

Overall, I found this to be a strong opening.  It had a nice balance in regards to tone.  The stakes seem to be both higher and more personal.  The writing and acting are also more impressive.  The characters and story are able to take what worked in the first season and build on it to become more compelling and developed.  I'm looking forward to seeing where Jess' story goes from here. 

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'The X-Files' Season 11, Episode 3: 'Plus One'

Thus far, the 11th season of 'The X-Files' has been wildly inconsistent.  It opened terribly, but then recovered with a surprisingly strong second episode.

This episode provides a more stable footing for both the show and the viewer, as it delivers another entertaining outing for the pair of FBI agents. 

The writing works well, the cast puts in strong performances, and the episode brings a nice balance.  There's some legitimately spooky goings-on this time around, but the episode isn't afraid to throw some levity and humor in there.  Rather than detract, it actually adds to the experience.  It makes it more entertaining, sure, but it also highlights just how strange Mulder's and Scully's lives get.

I think it's also to the writer's credit, that even though few of the supporting characters are likable here, they're still sympathetic.  The first victim is a routine DUI offender and the second is a sleazy attorney.  Still, when they're put in life or death situations, you do kind of root for them.  When the attorney goes to Mulder and Scully for help, you can't help but feel for the guy, being in a desperate situation that he has no control over.  Even his attempt at taking precautionary measures ultimately proves futile.

You'd think that the various plot elements would become jumbled.  I mean, we have phantom doppelgangers that drive you to suicide, a pair of schizophrenic twins playing a telepathic game of hangman, and talk of some looming evil presence that could be demonic or just mankind's darker impulses or something.  For the most part, it all comes together, though we don't really get any answers on anything. 

We do get some nice character moments between the two agents.  The banter is always fun, but the two also get a chance to reflect.  Scully, especially, becomes more introspective and wonders about what could have been and what is to come. 

Her talk of death would make sense in most cases, though Clyde Bruckman did say that she wouldn't die.  I wonder if that will ever come up again.  Also her fear about losing their jobs seems a bit shallow.  I mean, they've been fired before.  She's a doctor, I think she'll be fine.  I know it's supposed to be a hint towards the show ending, but it was still a little odd.     

In any event, this episode also made some nice (likely unintentional) nods.  When the agents talked of "mass hysteria", I couldn't help but think of "Ghostbusters".  Given the looming "end of the world" thing going on, it kind of adds to the connection.

We also have people committing murder by writing down names.  Sure, it's via hangman, but my brain couldn't help but connect this to "Death Note".  Suffice it to say, I smirked when one of the siblings asked if there was an L.  Again, I figure it has to be a coincidence, but it did amuse me. 

I do wonder how Scully is still skeptical at this point.  I'm pretty sure they've confronted ghosts before, so her dismissal of that was weird, but you'd think she'd be more open minded by now. Heck, when Mulder was abducted, she became "the believer".  It was odd to see, but the turn kind of made sense.  I'm kind of curious what pushed her back to skeptic territory.  Yeah, status quo is god, but you'd think they'd at least try to justify the back pedal. 

While the episode does have some cons, they are outweighed by the pros.  I don't think that this was as strong an outing as its predecessor.  The writing was largely on point, the plot hook was solid, it was well paced, and it effectively provided a nice balance of what viewers hope to find in an episode of 'The X-Files'. Hopefully, the positive momentum can continue. 

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'The Punisher' Episode 4: 'Resupply'

So, yeah, it's been a while since we've discussed "The Punisher" and I figured it was time to get back on the ball here.  I kind of remember what was happening.  I was worried that I was going to have a hard time keeping up, but this episode is largely self contained and doesn't really have any connection to the overall plot.

The episode keeps it simple, as both Frank and Homeland Security are gunning for a cache of weapons (see what I did there?) that are being transported by a crime syndicate.

At first I wasn't sure if this was some plot thread that carried over and was some piece of the puzzle. It occurred to me later that Frank Castle could just want the guns because he's Frank Castle.  The episode's title reinforces this and it works well enough, so it doesn't really matter either way.

Having the two parties go after the same target could be seen as a contrived coincidence, but it works as it gives the episode focus, even though we're following three groups of characters over the course of the episode.

The third group focuses on Curtis Hoyle and his attempt to help rehabilitate one of the suffering vets in his group.  It's not going well.  The guy's built a foxhole in his backyard and is eager to go back out into the field.  He even goes so far as to attempt to sign on with a private military group.  It might've worked had Curtis not torpedoed the effort.

My first thought was that the guy could get a non-combat centric job in the organization.  You know, split the difference.  Billy actually does bring up this idea, but Lewis is dismissive.  You'd think that Billy would point out that there are other jobs besides "janitor" that could be done here, but that idea never comes up.   Between his declining mental state and his newfound grudges against two of the recurring supporting characters, I don't see this guy remaining a good guy for much longer.  It doesn't seem to be a question of if he'll crack, but when. 

I don't doubt that this story will have ramifications later on, but right now it does seem a bit peripheral.  Still, it'll be interesting to see how the show ties it all together.

In the meantime, we get to see Frank rough up criminals.  The more impressive showing is obviously his showdown with the car thieves, but he does get to interrogate Turk in the show's opening scene.  It was an unexpected appearance, but it worked and I found it entertaining. 

It's odd how Turk keeps running afoul of the Netflix MCU vigilantes.  He's like the mirror of Claire Temple.  Where she runs into them and becomes friends, he seems to have a rockier go of it.  Still, he lives to see another day, so his charm seemed to have worked to some extent. 

It was good to get back to this show.  The characters are all entertaining and the cast continues to shine.  Having this be a "one and done" worked for me, but it also gives viewers a break from the "myth arc" and focus on Frank facing off against criminals.  There wasn't much in the way of plot advancement, but there was quite a bit of character progression.  Lewis, Madani, and Micro are all changed by the episode's end.  It should allow for interesting progression as we move deeper into the season.

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'Dragon Ball Super' Episode 131: 'The Miraculous Conclusion! Farewell Goku! Until We Meet Again!'

As the title indicates, this episode marks the end of the tournament of power.  It's been a long gauntlet, and with the climactic battle with Jiren still not over, this episode had quite a bit of ground to cover.

With Frieza and 17 entering the fray, the episode was able to up the action.  I didn't think they really stood a chance, but they fare far better than they likely had any right to.  That's not to say that Jiren doesn't smack them around quite a bit, but considering how powerful Jiren had become and how much trouble they had with him before, it was still a strong showing.

This is due in part to teamwork and the writers throwing them a bone by having Jiren succumb to exhaustion.  It seems that, like Goku's mastered ultra instinct, Jiren's power is starting to take its toll on his body.  Either that, or the fact that the fighters had been able to manage to mount such a resistance at all shatters his confidence in himself.  It's kind of vague like that.  The fact that he just falls to his knees and waits for Frieza to finish him lends credence to the latter, but again, it isn't really clear. 

Had Frieza been practical, he could have won the tournament right then and there.  Unfortunately, villain habits are hard to break.  Just as Jiren took too long and allowed Goku to get a second wind, so too does Jiren, which comes via a rousing speech from Toppo. 

On the plus side, this does give Goku a chance to get back into the fight.  It makes sense, given that he is the main hero of the series, though it is made clear that their only hope is to work together.

It turns out that Goku and Frieza make a pretty potent team.  We don't get to spend too much time with this particular 2 on 1 fight, but we get enough that viewers should be satisfied.  It is kind of disappointing that their final strategy ultimately boiled down to "bull rush him and push him out of the ring, leaving 17 to take the win".  It makes you wonder why it never occurred to them to try that before, but oh well. 

With that, universe 11 is erased.  Jiren seems to be in good spirits, though.  He actually smirks a couple of times.  As Goku has done so many times before, he has cracked through his rival's stoic shell and awakened his fighting spirit.  Goku says that they'll see each other again and the focus shifts to 17, who is asked to make his wish.

The return of the super dragon was a tad underwhelming.  I get that the episode didn't have time to do the grand spectacle of its debut appearance, but it looked to be the same size as Shenron.  It's still kind of awe inspiring, but it wasn't as jaw dropping as it probably could (or should) have been.

So, does 17 get his boat?

Nope, he wishes for all of the erased universes to come back.

This was the most predictable wish one could have made.  I was kind of hoping that all of the residents would be brought to universe 7.  That way, you could condense the multiverse, but still keep the characters.  It seemed like a good compromise, as a lot of these characters now have strong fan followings.  It would have made sense in universe as well.  The gods would have fewer universes to manage, but there would be no casualties.  Still, I can't fault 17 for doing something selfless.   

With this wish, a lot of fans suspected that the 6 universes that the omni-kings had erased before would be brought back too.  Given how 17 worded his wish, I figured that was going to be the big twist.  It's still possible, but we see no evidence to suggest that it was the case.

We do get something of a twist, with the reveal that the omni-kings had more or less predicted that the winner would make this wish.  In fact, they were banking on it.  The grand priest reveals that had the winner made a self-serving wish, the entire multiverse would have been deemed unworthy of existence and erased. 

Having the whole thing be a secret test of character seems eye-roll inducing at first, but really the seed was planted early on.  Remember the whole thing was determined by mortal level.  True, strength is a factor, but virtue and morals were also things that the omni-kings placed stock in.  As such, this was a way to integrate that, as opposed to having it all boil down to who had the strongest or most skilled fighters. 

While Frieza does initially seem to be robbed of his revival, Whis comes in and makes good on the promise.  Granted, he does it to reward the tyrant for his efforts, but the end result is the same.  The angel is surprisingly upbeat about doing it too.  It stands in stark contrast to the others, who are horrified at the development.  Still, Goku says that should Frieza try something, he and the others will stop him.  Sure enough, one of the final shots in the episode's closing minutes is Frieza gathering his forces and declaring that the emperor of the universe is back.

Given that this is the "finale" for the show (at least until the movie that's coming out later this year) I was wondering if this was going to make any effort to tie into Dragon Ball Z's epilogue.  It really doesn't.  I'm not sure how it could at this point, but it would have been nice to see.  I suppose we have to call that an alternate timeline where Beerus never woke up.  While it stinks, you could go and toss it into the "GT" continuity, but I think that this new journey will be more interesting anyway.

The episode closes with Goku and Vegeta sparring in super saiyan blue.  While Goku can't access his ultra instinct power anymore, he does swear that he's going to keep breaking his limits.  It's a bit sad (and weird considering he had "mastered" it) but this does keep at least a few of the other characters relevant in terms of being able to hold their own in fights against foes that can challenge the saiyan protagonist.  Vegeta, naturally, makes a similar vow, saying that this is what saiyans do.  While Z's epilogue is more or less tossed out the window, this sequence does give us a nice call back with the two saiyans standing in the poses they took in their first fight back in the saiyan saga.  I thought it was a nice touch.

All in all, I think this episode is about as good as it could have been.  The fights were exciting, the animation was top notch, and there were some real highlights included.  It's abrupt at points, but there was no way around that.  It also has to deal with the fact that it's a series finale, but also not one because there's a movie and a potential relaunch next year.  That's a tough spot to be in.  This wraps things up and gives all of the characters a pretty happy ending, while also leaving threads for future story lines.  There's Frieza, of course, and I'm guessing Goku will want to try and re-attain ultra instinct.  Even though the characters have hit god-tier and beaten the strongest being in the multiverse, it still seems like there are places the franchise can go.  It's going to be interesting to see.

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'Dragon Ball Super' Episode 130: 'The Greatest Showdown of All Time! The Ultimate Survival Battle!!'

With Goku having truly mastered the power of Ultra Instinct, the fight takes a sharp turn.  Just as Goku was almost powerless against Jiren in their first showdown, so too is the pride trooper against the saiyan now.

After so many episodes of Jiren being the super-powerful, unstoppable opponent for so long, it's more than a little satisfying to see Goku finally gain the upper hand.

It seems like victory is in universe 7's grasp, but Jiren won't go down easy.  On the contrary, losing the fight triggers memories of his childhood trauma.  In true "Dragonball" fashion, this allows him to tap into even deeper power and break his own insane limits.

Odd as it may be, it gives Jiren the advantage and Goku's ultimate form is soon losing.  In fact, it seems like the fight is lost. 

Unfortunately for Jiren, the other Z fighters announce that their faith in Goku remains intact.  This gives the saiyan a second wind that brings him back into the fight.  When the pride trooper expresses confusion, we get another heartwarming moment as the spectators talk about the effect that Goku has had on them, and vice versa.  It's a bit meta, but with this being the show's penultimate episode, I thought it was kind of perfect as it had nods to both "Dragon Ball" and "Dragon Ball Z".

Jiren, for his part, doesn't buy into the magic of friendship and seems determined to snuff out the idea at any cost.  Considering how much time he's spent dedicating himself to the whole solitary thing, it makes sense. 

Jiren is so determined to disprove Goku's power source that he even makes an attempt to kill the spectators to show how fickle it is.  It's a pretty jarring moment on several fronts.  It's especially odd as neither the grand priest nor the omni-kings make any effort to protect them the attack, nor do they penalize him for the action.  I guess the writers thought it would be a cop out, but it's strange that Goku had to be the one to deflect the blast.

While Goku admits (again) that he's no great hero of justice (the dub of this line should be interesting seeing as the dub Goku more or less declared himself as such in the fight against Frieza) he won't tolerate people threatening the lives of those he cares about. 

Just as Jiren did, Goku taps into even more power and puts Jiren on the ropes.  You'd think that the fight is over, but the spectators telling Goku to end it telegraphs the fact that the fight isn't quite over yet.

It's nothing Jiren does, nor is it a last second backstab by Frieza (which I thought it was at first) but it seems that, much like the kaio-ken, Ultra Instinct takes a physical toll on the body.  As such, Goku finds himself depowered, on the ground, and writhing in agony.  It leaves him at the mercy of Jiren, who merely has to knock him out of the ring.

While Jiren was clearly annoyed with Goku's persistence, he tries to make Goku's defeat as honorable as possible, saying that he was a proud warrior and that he will live on in Jiren's memories.  He even goes so far as to lament the circumstances behind this win, admitting that it feels wrong for their confrontation to end this way.  Considering what a schmuck Jiren has been as of late, it was a rather heartwarming moment in its own way. 

Jiren gives Goku a point blank blast, but the saiyan is saved at the last second by Frieza, who prevents him from getting knocked out of the ring.  It's not all that surprising, as most viewers knew that Frieza was still around somewhere.  Still, it's a decent "big damn hero" moment for the arch villain.  While that "reveal" may come off as lackluster, the writers were savvy to have one other ace up their sleeve.

You see, Frieza's not alone. 

"Wait, what?" you say?

Yeah, he has back up.  It comes in the form of....


........



........



Spoilers ahead..


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.........





..........



Android 17.  Yeah, he didn't die. 


A part of me wants to call this an asspull or talk about how it negates the emotional power of his sacrifice, but it was still a damn good twist.  I sure as hell didn't see it coming.  It was a great note to end on too.  Goku's down for the count, but Frieza and 17 are stepping up to face off against Jiren.

To be honest, I'm not sure what the two can do to him, but we'll see when we get there.  If previous episodes are any indicator, they need only buy Goku a few seconds to heal and catch his breath, but I'm hoping they bring more to the table than that.

I was kind of surprised to see that the fight didn't end here.  Truthfully, if it had, this would have been a very satisfying conclusion.  This episode was fast, intense, and it felt like an appropriate climax to this particular arc.  The animation was really good and the Goku/Jiren fight was as exciting as it's ever been.  We also got some really great plot twists to keep things interesting. It even managed to provide a few strong emotional moments as well.  It was a fantastic episode and gives us great momentum as we head into the finale. 

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'Dragon Ball Super' Episode 129: 'Limits Super Surpassed! Ultra Instinct Mastered!!'

With Goku having once again tapped into the power of ultra instinct, the fight between he and Jiren begins in earnest. 

Whis points out that this is their last chance in more ways than one.  If Goku burns out as he did the other times he tapped into the power, he won't have anyone to help him, nor will he have enough time to heal. 

While the form is able to level the playing field considerably, Goku finds himself having the same problem he had against Kefla; that is that his attacks aren't doing as much damage as they should be.  Considering Jiren's already hard enough to hurt, it's a problem to say the least.  Even his attempt at using a kamehameha doesn't work, though seeing as it was the same trick he used against Kefla, it makes sense that Jiren was able to come up with a counter-move. 

It's enough to make the universe 11 gods think that Goku playing defense won't be enough to win.   Vegeta for his part does remind them that all of the saiyans have managed to surpass their limits in the fairly short amount of time since the tournament has begun.

There's no mention of Frieza.  He's still out there somewhere, though given the state of the ring, I'm not sure where he could be hiding.  I'm not even sure how they determine what's "out of bounds" and what isn't.    All that's left is debris.  It does give both fighters an excuse to fly, at the very least. 

There does still seem to be a ring, as Jiren is almost able to knock Goku out of it by pummeling him repeatedly from above.  It looks like Goku's goose is cooked as Jiren's attacks are too fast for him to use instant transmission and the ground is crumbling beneath him from the power of Jiren's attacks. 

True to form, this is where Goku truly masters the power and is able to start landing powerful hits against the once seemingly invincible opponent. 

Oddly enough, this was where the fight really started getting good (at least in my opinion).  What we saw before wasn't bad, but the first showdown set a rather high bar.  While it's fast (really fast, in fact, so fast that they don't even bother animating large chunks of it) and fairly even, it didn't have quite as much oomph as the first battle.  Maybe it's because a lot of the shine has come off the Jiren apple or maybe the aforementioned animation short cut, I don't know. 

It was both surprising and satisfying to see how much the tables had turned.  Goku was able to send Jiren flying just as easily as he had to his opponents in earlier matches. 

Jiren isn't taking it lying down, but it marks the first time that we've seen him on the losing end of a fight. 

It really shows you why the gods were so awestruck when they first thought that a mortal had achieved ultra instinct.  Of course, now Beerus is giddy over the idea.  It stands in contrast to his first reaction where he seemed either scared or annoyed.  Even Jiren smirks when he sees what Goku can do.  It took a while, but it seems like Jiren's emotional shell is starting to crack.

All in all, this episode was solid.  It didn't advance the plot much, but it gave us a fairly impressive opening to the final showdown between Goku and Jiren.  It didn't have the wow factor that their first match up did, but it wasn't underwhelming by any stretch.  Hopefully, the next episode can up things even further as the promo promises that both fighters will be breaking their limits...again in order to win the tournament.



 

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'Dragon Ball Super' Episode 128: 'Noble Pride to the End! Vegeta Falls!!'

With only minutes remaining in the tournament, there isn't a whole lot of time to mourn the loss of 17.  Goku mutters his name once, but that seems to be it as far as universe 7's reaction goes.  I get that Vegeta wouldn't care and we did see 18 distraught before so maybe they thought showing it again would be redundant, but seeing more of a reaction would have been nice.

Oddly, Jiren is the one who has the most to say about it.  Sadly, it isn't particularly complimentary.  He can't even commend the guy for his nobility.  He just says it was a dumb move and that Vegeta and Goku weren't worth the trouble.  Maybe they're trying to paint him as more villainous so that the viewer roots for Goku, but it seems odd given his status as pride trooper.  While I don't read the manga, I have heard about how he is characterized there and it seems like a much stronger iteration just due to the fact that it feels more like a super hero than what this guy is giving us. 

Despite being exhausted, Vegeta vows to keep fighting.  You might not think much of the development, seeing as characters have been able to recover rather easily in this tournament, but this time, his burnout is for reals as the prince doesn't even have the energy to go super saiyan.

Nevertheless, Vegeta keeps fighting.  You can guess how well this goes.  Much like his futile battle with Kid Buu, the sequence is interesting in that Vegeta spends almost the entire outing getting his clock cleaned, yet he still comes out looking like a badass just because he keeps getting up and refuses to quit.  Sadly, Jiren isn't quite as impressed or unnerved by it as Kid Buu was.

Still, Vegeta notes that he doesn't have to beat Jiren.  He just has to keep fighting to ensure that universe 7 wins.

You know, if he had thought of that like, a minute ago, 17 would still be alive and the team would be in much better shape.  Your timing sucks, Vegeta.

Either way, Vegeta is shown to be determined to keep his promise to Cabba, as well as protect his family.  It's nice, but we've seen it twice before already in fairly rapid succession.  I kind of feel like there's a diminishing emotional return on this particular card. 

It did give us a (possibly unintentional) nod to "Rocky V", as Bulma appears to Vegeta in a vision and tells him to get up.  I was amused by that.

Even with a complete fluke save by the heel of his boot, Vegeta is unable to hold on for much longer and eventually gets eliminated.  That's not a spoiler, it's in the title.  Vegeta does make one last ditch effort to turn the tide by giving Goku some of his energy, but the saiyan is relegated to the bleachers.  True to form, Krillin comes through with a senzu bean.  Apparently he had those this whole time?  I guess it makes sense to have them and it does explain Roshi's recovery.  I just found it odd that it took this long for that to come up.

You wouldn't think that Vegeta's energy orb would do a whole lot, but it allows Goku to get back on his feet and even allows him to go into his blue form.  Of course, he's up against Jiren so it doesn't help that much and it isn't long before he too is burnt out.

Remember how I said that the last episode didn't have much in the way of tension due to the fact that universe 7 had such a drastic numbers advantage?  Well, having lost 17 and Vegeta in rapid succession helped mitigate that greatly. 

Sure, Jiren's beat down of Goku is a pretty blatant animation loop, but it still felt pretty brutal and you actually felt like universe 7 was in trouble.  I mean, yeah, Frieza's still around somewhere, but he's apparently down for the count, so it really does feel like it's down to Goku to win this one for the gipper.

Just as Goku is millimeters away from getting knocked out, he once again conjures up the power of ultra instinct.  The gods are amazed by this (though Khai and Belmoud are annoyed), though I got the impression that this is what Jiren wanted.  He could have knocked Goku out of the ring in one punch, but he didn't, choosing instead to just keep hitting the saiyan again and again and again and again.  Just when Goku was about to fall out, he stops his assault to point out that this is the end and "winds up" as it were.   He doesn't come right out and say it like Cell did, but I wouldn't be surprised if it were the case.

It would have been cool to see Goku in Ultra Instinct working with Vegeta in his super blue form, but I get why the writers decided to have it play out this way.  Ultra instinct is the big cahuna, so you have to save that for the final showdown. 

Where Goku's previous transformations put more emphasis on defense, this time we see that Goku is more in control as he is able to land a rather devastating hit on Jiren in the episode's closing moments.  Expect the showdown to act as the central focus of the next episode.

This episode was an improvement over the one that came before.  It actually helped address some of my criticisms, though it still has its faults.  Vegeta got to go out in a sort of blaze of glory, but there was quite a bit of padding.  The emotional moments with Vegeta weren't quite as effective and ate up time. We also had a lot of animation loops that were hard to ignore.  It's a step in the right direction, but it still felt lackluster compared to some of the arc's previous episodes.  Hopefully the final showdown between Goku and Jiren can really step it up so that the arc (and possibly even the series?) can end on a high note. 

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