'Stuart Fails to Save the Universe' features surprise role for OG Big Bang Theory star

You wouldn't have pegged a Big Bang Theory spin-off to lead with a mass shooting and a kaiju attack, but here we are. Two weeks in, Stuart Fails to Save the Universe has definitely not settled for the safe option. If you were expecting the sitcom's patented bazinga-and-smirk formula, well, nobody told Chuck Lorre and co-showrunners Bill Prady and Zak Penn. The show’s rolling out on HBO Max (since 23 July, if you want to mark your diaries), and this time the spotlight’s squarely on supporting weirdos: Stuart, Denise, Bert, and the inescapable Kripke. The premise? Multiverse chaos triggered by a botched science project using Sheldon and Leonard’s discarded homework — and none of these lot remotely understand what they’re mucking about with.

Season 2 of 'Stuart Fails to Save the Universe' is already locked in for a 3 September, 2027, release.

Not Their Universe. Not Their Problem

The clever bit (and honestly, it’s one of the few clever bits the franchise hasn’t overdone already) is that, by flinging their oddballs through parallel worlds, any character from The Big Bang Theory can now show up, continuity be damned. Which explains how, within three episodes, we’ve had return visits from Riki Lindhome’s Ramona, Brian Thomas Smith as the ever-vacuous Zack, Kunal Nayyar popping back as Raj, and even Kaley Cuoco as a very different Penny. All of them are, let’s say, not quite how you remember. Case in point: the actual opening scene, where Kripke just straight-up shoots Raj. Not exactly “soft reboot” material.

If anything, the multiverse setup allows for a run of one-off mad episodes. Case in point: this past week’s, which dropped on Thursday (6 August, for those keeping track), goes properly off-piste. Melissa Rauch returns as a Bernadette who’s less microbiologist, more sorceress-demon-giant monster hybrid. No, really. The gang is stranded in a reality where ‘science’ is literally nonsense and magic is the only game in town. We get Bert summoning rain as a wizard and later turning Kripke into a penguin, while a demon called Alexa (yes, seriously) directs the group towards a ‘master sorceress’ who just happens to be a dead ringer for Howard’s missus.

Bernadette Goes Godzilla

Turns out, in this universe, Bernadette’s been blackballed by the Wizards Guild of America over strike action, and the only way to get her magic back is a ritual involving the blood of ‘an innocent’ — which is where Stuart (utterly plausible candidate) steps up. Wil Wheaton comes barreling in as another wizard with a warning: Bernadette’s actual demon, not just cosplaying as one. Before you know it, she’s rampaging through a lovingly recreated scale model Pasadena, 60 feet tall and screaming for their universe-hopping doohickey.

Melissa Rauch gave a bit of background to Variety on how the role landed in her lap. According to her, Chuck Lorre wasn’t giving much away at first:

“I remember a while ago getting a call from Chuck [Lorre] and he shared what the premise was, and I remember him saying that 'you would be Bernadette, but not really, just a different version of Bernadette. So it'd be extremely different from anything you ever played.'”

Suffice to say, she was well up for it — not just for the oddness of the part but for the opportunity to work with Kevin Sussman, Lauren Lapkus, Brian Posehn, and John Ross Bowie again, all of whom she rates as “comedic lasers.” As for smashing up Hollywood’s most overexposed suburb, Rauch was chuffed about getting to play at monster movies, especially since she’s “barely five foot” in reality. It was her first go at motion capture too, and she singled out the team for going all-in on miniatures:

“They built an entire miniature city of Pasadena that I was able to walk through and crush and pick up little versions of people and yell at them. It was a blast.”

Too Weird to Fail?

Whether all this madcap reinvention pays off long-term is up for debate. Reviews are fairly split so far. The show’s at a 76% Rotten Tomatoes rating midway through season one, which by franchise standards is neither flop nor smash. Not that HBO Max seems worried — they’ve already given it another run, with Season 2 due 3 September, 2027. So for now, expect even more quantum-leaping, universe-bothering nonsense.

• Stuart Fails to Save the Universe currently airs Thursdays on HBO Max.
• Main cast: Kevin Sussman (Stuart), Lauren Lapkus (Denise), Brian Posehn (Bert), John Ross Bowie (Barry Kripke).
• Season one guest stars include Riki Lindhome, Brian Thomas Smith, Kunal Nayyar, Kaley Cuoco, Melissa Rauch, and Wil Wheaton.
• Season two hits in September 2027.