Stuart Fails to Save the Universe breaks every Big Bang Theory rule but one

Sheldon Cooper and Amy Farrah Fowler have received a Nobel Prize. Howard Wolowitz has ventured into space. Stuart Bloom has dedicated much of his life to operating a comic book shop on The Big Bang Theory. Played by Kevin Sussman, Stuart is the character who always found himself in a worse position than the others. He was impoverished, frequently unwell, unlucky in love, and uncertain if he truly belonged with the group.

Seven years after the show's conclusion, the fate of the universe has been entrusted to him. This endeavor follows the title's prediction of a failure to save the universe. Before venturing on his individual journey, Stuart causes trouble by damaging a quantum-interference device created by Sheldon and Leonard, subsequently destabilizing reality.

He sets out to repair it alongside his girlfriend Denise (Lauren Lapkus), geologist Bert Kibbler (Brian Posehn), and physicist Barry Kripke (John Ross Bowie). The original characters, who once circled the main cast, now traverse various alternate universes, each hoping the next one will be less disastrous than the last. The new series appears and behaves quite different from The Big Bang Theory.

The apartments, laboratories, and live studio audience have transformed into post-apocalyptic Pasadena, fantasy realms, computer-generated creatures, and the potential for changing genres from week to week. The fourth episode, titled "Spoiler: Stuart Makes a Wallet," sees Stuart confined to a psychiatric hospital, starting to believe that none of his journey had occurred.

His memories are considered delusions, his companions have transformed into patients, and the hospital staff are his psychiatrists, including a version of Amy with the face of Mayim Bialik. The creators, Chuck Lorre and Bill Prady, discovered that they could experiment with almost anything when they realized early on in the first few episodes.

However, they set a limit: comedy relies on character, and this would not work if the characters did not remain true to their original selves. Even with the drastic shift in location and setting, the show maintains the banter and verbal dexterity that fans have come to expect. Many years after The Big Bang Theory's run, Lorre and Prady conceived the idea of a series centered around Stuart.

They collaborated with comic writers Zak Penn and Bill Prady to create a larger-than-life program unlike traditional sitcoms. Influenced by Monty Python, Mel Brooks, Men in Black, Doctor Who, and other sources, the series allows the creators to explore unexpected directions without reverting to the same sofa each week. The actors returned to characters they were familiar with, but with more substantial roles.

Bowie's Barry Kripke would antagonize Sheldon, Posehn's Bert could briefly disturb the group with his imposing yet gentle demeanor, and neither was meant to be the main focus. The characters had more to lose in this new series, as Stuart's permanent state of panic was excessive for him trying to sell comic books. Sussman learned about the project during the pandemic, when Lorre presented the idea to him with the belief that the actor might need some convincing.

Months passed without further news, leaving Sussman to check his phone to confirm that the meeting had indeed occurred. His previous casting as Howard in The Big Bang Theory may have turned out differently, as Sussman was initially cast as Howard before Simon Helberg received the part. Sussman expressed gratitude for being part of a show where the ensemble is close both on and off the set, as his history with the franchise could have gone very differently.