Stuart Fails to Save the Universe – Review: The New Big Bang Theory Spinoff That Can't Recapture the Magic Formula

After Young Sheldon and George & Mandy, the third spinoff of The Big Bang Theory, also created by Chuck Lorre, who brought one of the most beloved series in television history to life, arrives today on HBO. As the title suggests, our Stuart, the quirky owner of TBBT's comic book store, is busy putting back together what's left of our universe, accidentally shattered by a peculiar quantum machine built by Sheldon, Howard, and Leonard. Jumping from one parallel reality to another, they must reassemble the pieces of this cosmic puzzle in search of the necessary information (and also some components) to set things right once and for all, with little success. The cast gathers all those "secondary" characters from the original series, making them absolute protagonists in situations bordering on the paradoxical, although, we can't spoil it, there will be surprises, such as Nowitzki, the secretary of a very peculiar "alternative" Caltech.

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The Cast: TBBT's "Supporting Characters" Become Protagonists

In addition to the aforementioned Stuart, the main core of the cast also includes Bert (the corpulent geologist), Kripkie (Sheldon and Leonard's antagonist physicist), and Denise, who in this series also has the role of being Stuart's eternal girlfriend, although in some worlds we will initially find her with a new recurring character, Gary, only to return (for a series of always different reasons) to our Stuart's arms.

The progression of the episodes is characterized by the fact that in each episode we are always in a new world, with its oddities and peculiarities. We will start with  a post-apocalyptic universe similar to Fallout, with enormous flying moths and armed corporations sweeping the streets, but with Stuart's comic book store still operational. What is a bit strange in the very first episode is a certain degree of "violence" (note the quotation marks) which at first might disorient the viewer a bit, but which makes perfect sense in the context of the environment in which the episode takes place. We will find other worlds where our heroes will enjoy grazing on grass and plants and others where they will wreak havoc on the lives of a peaceful indigenous community.

Stuart's Failure: A Half-Successful Experiment

The pace tries to recall TBBT's fast-paced rhythm, but something is missing. Several episodes feel drawn out, and the tone fails to deliver the dynamic of lightning-fast jokes that made the original series famous. The wildest ideas, references to classics like Dawn of the Dead, quotes from Jurassic Park, The Matrix, or Platoon, and the cameos scattered throughout the ten episodes of the first season are not enough. Stuart Fails to Save the Universe remains only a partially successful attempt: it finally gives space to the "second string" of a cult series, but even with capable performers, it fails to replicate the formula the audience expected, without building an autonomous identity solid enough to stand on its own.