Stuart Fails to Save the Universe Episode 1 Brings a Fun Big Bang Cameo We Didn’t Expect

Critic’s Rating: 4 / 5.0

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There were plenty of questions about whether another spinoff of The Big Bang Theory was really needed, but when you get into Stuart Fails to Save the Universe, you’ll know it was.

This series takes four of the minor but beloved characters from The Big Bang Theory‘s universe, Stuart (of course!), Bert, Denise, and Kripke.

This doesn’t mean there aren’t cameos or mentions here and there.

In fact, the first installment includes a cameo most didn’t expect, while setting up the reason Stuart needs to save the universe, and I’m so glad that one particular cameo was kept a secret.

It’s All Sheldon, Leonard, and Howard’s Fault

It doesn’t take long to get into the story, as we find out that Stuart and Bert live in a post-apocalyptic universe with giant bugs that fly around.

Stuart still has his comic book store, and in true geek fashion, there are still those looking out for mint-condition items.

The trade? Food. And it’s got to be good food. Well, good food for an apocalypse.

It’s clear that this part of the story has been well thought out.

Time has gone into figuring out how people would attempt to live normal lives, even if there is a black hole in the middle of the comic book store.

There’s nothing unique about the reason for this apocalypse happening, but the minute the Stuart from another universe told our Stuart that it was due to something Sheldon, Leonard, and Howard had done, I had one thought.

What about Raj?

That’s where the fun cameo comes in: it turns out that Raj has been held prisoner for some time, and he’s the one who can help fix this problem that is affecting the whole of space and time.

Of course, he’s the one who can fix the mess that his friends have caused, but he’s gone a little mad from his time on his own trapped in this mess of a mistake.

It adds a great layer for Big Bang Theory fans, but doesn’t take away from the overall story. Stuart remains the man who needs to save everyone — and good luck with that!

Capturing the Personalities of The Big Bang Theory

Despite the world with bugs that is a lot like Fallout and Mad Max, the characters we’ve come to know and love from The Big Bang Theory haven’t changed too much.

It’s grounded in realism despite this fantastical setting, creating a strong base that connects back to the original series.

Stuart is still neurotic at times, and Bert still loves his rocks. Denise has found her group of people, but she’s still loyal to her friends — well, to a point!

The best part is Kripke becoming a dictator.

Out of all the characters from The Big Bang Theory, it was always going to be Kripke who would take over the world.

And even without the trailer showing it, I don’t think any of us needed a clue that he would wear an outfit that was reminiscent of a German or Russian dictator.

I do have to wonder how he kept the uniform so clean in such a dusty place, though!

The four main characters had some great development throughout their run on the parent show, especially Stuart, but this series gives us a chance to learn more about them.

Who would have thought that Bert had the knowledge to create grenades in such a hilarious way?

I do have questions about the machine and what it does to our unlikely heroes.

As we end the first hour of Stuart Fails to Save the Universe, it’s clear that they become the versions of themselves that they would in this world.

That helps to avoid issues of running into themselves, but it doesn’t make the most sense when it comes to rules of inter-dimension hopping.

Although I have to admit that I often avoid thinking too hard about this, similar to the way I stop thinking too hard about time travel. 

As I’ll paraphrase from Piper on Charmed: time travel causes headaches (and so do inter-dimension changes).

We’re only one 30-minute episode in, so there’s time to develop the rules and explain them.

I’m Looking Forward to the Titles

Spoiler: Gary Dies has to be one of my favorite titles for TV shows in the last few years.

Has anyone noticed that TV shows have stopped with intriguing and creative titles in recent years? In fact, a lot of shows will opt for the obligatory Episode 1.

While that’s great for the cast and crew to know the installment they’re on, it’s not a lot of fun for us. It also makes it harder to remember the events when it comes to reruns.

Having something as simple as Spoiler: Gary Dies tells us exactly what’s going to happen without ruining anything.

Great, we know that Gary dies, but my first question was “well, who’s Gary?”

As soon as he was introduced, I looked forward to seeing how he was going to die. It reminded me of my eldest telling her dad that “Goose eats the people” after watching Captain Marvel and him still having no idea what that spoiler meant.

Looking through the next episodes, they all have me intrigued by the events. 

Bert Is Magic, We Couldn’t Get Green Lantern, and Gary Works for UPS are all such weird and wonderful spoilers to share for the episodes, proving that this show is set to be detailed and fun.

With everything that’s going on in the world, there are times we just need to throw on a half-hour of comedy, and The Big Bang Theory has always been great for that. 

Now it’s time for Stuart Fails to Save the Universe to take on that mantle.

This is where we love to hear from you!
Did this new spinoff start off strong for you, or were you expecting something completely different? Is it a series you’ll continue to watch? Sound off with your thoughts in the comments below, and let’s get the conversation flowing!