Warning! Spoilers ahead for Stuart Fails to Save the Universe episode 1.
Stuart and Denise are darker characters in Stuart Fails to Save the Universe.
Seven years after The Big Bang Theory ended, Chuck Lorre is re-teaming with Bill Prady and recruiting Zak Penn for a new expansion project. Thus far, the universe has had two spinoffs already — Young Sheldon and Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage, which was 2025-2026’s network TV’s top comedy. The trio is totally flipping The Big Bang Theory world on its head with Stuart Fails to Save the Universe marking several firsts for the famed franchise.
For starters, the Kevin Sussman-spearheaded project is the universe’s first sequel story. Its events take place after Sheldon and Amy’s Nobel Prize win in the flagship. Secondly, it’s also a full-blown sci-fi series, unlike the more grounded Young Sheldon and Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage, and even the flagship. In the project, the core characters go on a multiversal adventure to supposedly save reality. Finally, Stuart Fails to Save the Universe is going to be on streaming rather than network TV.
That said, those are not the only changes in Stuart Fails to Save the Universe from The Big Bang Theory. In an exclusive interview with ScreenRant‘s Ash Crossan, Sussman and Lauren Lapkus, who plays Denise, reveal that their characters are both more grounded and darker in the new spinoff. Read their explanation below:
Lauren Lapkus: My version of Denise in this is definitely a little more grounded and darker. We actually just rewatched the first time we each appeared on the original show, and I was shocked by how chipper she was. But that was a while ago, and stuff has gone down for her—and for me. I’m different too.
Kevin Sussman: I felt that way with Stuart too. This one starts with Stuart in the apocalypse, so it’s definitely still Stuart. Stuart has always had a lot on his plate and has always been a ball of anxiety, but now the circumstances actually match his level of anxiety. In a way, maybe this is his comfort zone.
Lauren Lapkus: The way your mind works finally matches what’s happening outside.
Kevin Sussman: Yeah. He’s always been preparing for the end of the universe.
As seen in Stuart Fails to Save the Universe episode 1, things are bleak in the show from the get-go, after the Vari-state Quantum Entanglement Device that Howard, Leonard, and Sheldon created was accidentally broken by Stuart. Denise thought that Stuart had died, hence their break-up, but when they reunited, it was clear that they were still attracted to each other. Regardless of what will happen to them, becoming less cheerful makes sense, given what has happened to their reality.
It’s curious now how their characters evolve as Stuart Fails to Save the Universe continues. After the premiere, which featured the return of Kunal Nayyar as Raj, there is now an expectation that more original The Big Bang Theory characters would find their way back to the franchise. What that will look like is currently uncertain, but if the first cameo is an indication, expect that any upcoming surprise appearances will be very different from their The Big Bang Theory version.
Ultimately, however, the focus of Stuart Fails to Save the Universe will be its core characters. The apocalypse appears to have fueled Barry’s worst tendencies, but that will likely change. It doesn’t seem like there’s much change with Bert, but hopefully, he gets the focus that he deserves as well.
