I just made that connection the other day.
And yes, this series jumps dramatically once they hit Namek. Go back and watch the first 5 or so episodes. For every good joke there's at least one cringer. Episode... I want to say 3 or 4... is probably the only just plain bad episode of DBZA because it relies on that bane of Internet comedy: "'Wacky' voices and repeating shit makes things funny!"
EDIT: Oh and someone says something strange and the response is someone else saying "Oooooooooookaaaaaaaaaay" like they're confused! that's funny right guys
for me the series is pretty cringeworthy until episode 5. episode 5 doesn't have the editing down just right, or a lot of the background music and sounds that make the series feel richer, but the jokes landed pretty much every time. then it's kinda forgettable until the saiyans show up on earth (which is really just episode 6 and 7).
when it was originally being released, i didn't care for the zarbon stuff, but seeing it all together, i thought it kinda worked despite being a really simplistic joke.
also, loved the callbacks to previous episodes, like goku holding a grudge, 'only the same but on fire!', and the kaioken stuff (i can't believe they got away with the same joke in so many ways). even the more serious stuff works pretty well ('my mother's dead' 'i know').
the frieza saga is my favorite in dbz. the focus on just a handful of characters and it not being 'the super saiyan show starring goku and the super saiyans' made it feel uh, focused. plus, frieza was a pretty good villain to have- he was already established as a greedy, arrogant tyrant, but also being responsible for the death of goku's parents and best friend was another nice touch. he's a little asshole you kinda love to hate.
as awesome as it was to see gohan and everyone take down cell, cell didn't feel like that much of a threat. he just wanted to be like strong and stuff. i don't remember. either way, i think the dbza guys have their work cut out for them moving forward.