Stuart Fails to Save the Universe is HBO Max’s new sci-fi comedy spin-off of The Big Bang Theory. It following comic-bookstore owner Stuart Bloom (Kevin Sussman) as he stumbles through an infinite multiverse he is spectacularly unqualified to rescue. Screen Brief had the chance to watch the full season ahead of its release on HBO Max, and we’re pleased to share our review of the show.
Stuart Fails to Save the Universe is an absurdly hilarious and incredibly clever show that mixes sci-fi action with the signature snark of The Big Bang Theory perfectly. It’s thoroughly entertaining show because of how varied and creatively fresh each storyline in the show is. Each episode finds the characters dropped into an alternate reality, as they use a multiverse-teleportation device to jump across universes ranging from post-apocalyptic wastelands to insane asylums, and actual paradises.
The show feels like a breath of fresh air specifically because it drops beloved characters into brand-new scenarios which creates interesting and novel situations. Comic book store owner Stuart and his friends have from The Big Bang Theory—a sitcom that has become so beloved for good reason—are now dropped into far more dramatic, high stakes, life or death situations that give the show a gravitas that a sitcom could never have. In doing so, the show can be enjoyed by viewers who loved cadence and comedy of the original sitcom but equally holds up to the standards of prestige HBO shows that fans of science fiction, fantasy and horror enjoy.
And so, while genre mashing doesn’t always work and can sometimes come across as tacky or trope-ridden approach, the writers and producers of Stuart Fails to Save The Universe have done an excellent job with it here.
The reason the genre-blending of the show works so well is because it starts with its characters first. It understands very well that its characters are fundamentally nerdy, sometimes very selfish, often very closed off, sarcastic people. That’s because they come from this background of the sitcom, where characters are always very snarky, clever and often mean. By now dropping them into serious situations with real consequences, it’s hilarious to see the result play out. We’re interested in seeing how they respond to situations, because they’re funny, they’re cowardly, and they’re often ebb between being brash, and overconfident, and then deeply embarrassed. In this mixture of large-scale action and small-scale insecure comedy forms the magic of Stuart Fails to Save The Universe.
One element that stands out about show is that each episode takes place in a different multiverse location. As someone that has reviewed a lot of shows, movies and comic books that play with multiverse, I understand the trappings of this story structure. Somehow though, Chuck Lorre and the writers of this show managed to bring something fresh to the multiverse idea, which is that the multiverse doesn’t just have to be about unexplored lives. It can also just be really, really funny.
The writers of Stuart Fails to Save the Universe put their characters in absurd situations where their original personalities can be inverted to great comedic effect. In one example, the debut episode features Kripke as the ruler of South Pasadena in a post-apocalyptic setting, a wonderful contrast to his usual cowardly and insecure self in the original show.
Other episodes take us to insane asylums, the world of the Matrix, even meet ingBatman villains like Mr. Freeze. One factors that really helps it work is that Warner Brothers is able to leverage all of their intellectual property for this show. That means it features appearances, of characters and settings from other Warner Brothers franchises. There’s always the risk that it can feel cheap to use existing IP to grab attention, but in this case it’s done in a way that’s funny, because the focus is still the main characters and Stuart himself. The comedy comes from how they respond when you drop them into such absurd situations with characters and
In Stuart’s case specifically, it works even better because his background as a comic book and pop culture aficionado places him perfectly to respond to these situations. In an almost-fourth-wall-breaking manner, Stuart is aware of the meta scenarios he finds himself in. He’s spent his entire life escaping into fantasy world, so when he’s finally dropped into them for real, he knows this stuff better than anyone else. As he so brilliantly reclaims “comic books are my superpower!”
Finally, as a fan of The Big Bang Theory, it meant a lot to see this franchise come back to life. And without spoiling it, it also meant a lot to see some of the extended cast of Big Bang Theory members return for guest appearances. This is the third Big Bang spinoff show, but it’s the first one to take place in present day (Young Sheldon, and Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage are both prequel shows), which means it’s the very first time we get to pick up after the Season 12 finales of Big Bang and see where these characters are now.
As of late, TV networks and streamers have had the tendency to bring back some of their most popular shows as reboots or continuations, usually in a watered-down fashion that rehashes the same jokes without recapturing the magic of the original. For that reason, it’s momentous that the first real sequel series to The Big Bang Theory is an adult-rated sci-fi comedy with blood, guts and gore. Even more so, it’s a big deal is that the producers chose to focus the show on four characters who were merely supporting guest stars in the original series, rather than focusing on the main cast for a continuation. It’s refreshing, particularly because producer Chuck Lorre must surely be aware that a reboot or sequel to The Big Bang Theory would almost certainly be a massive success, at least financially. For him to instead chose to do something creatively bold and inventive with his first follow-up to the beloved sitcom is inspiring.
Stuart Fails to Save the Universe is a hilarious and inventive show worth watching for the warm, and surprising depth these snarky sitcom characters are given in a new sci-fi bent story that’s entertaining throughout.
If you enjoyed our a Start Fails to Save the Universe Review, then check out our full Q&A Interview with the creators and cast of the show right here, and check out more from Screen Brief below.
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