- Starring
- Kevin Sussman, Lauren Lapkus, Brian Posehn
- Creators
- Chuck Lorre, Zak Penn, Bill Prady
- Rating
- TV-MA
- Genre
- Comedy, Fantasy, Sci-Fi
- Release date
- July 23, 2026
Comic book store owner Stuart Bloom accidentally breaks a mysterious device built by Sheldon and Leonard, unleashing a chaotic Armageddon across the multiverse. Now, with the help of his girlfriend Denise, his friend Bert, and the ever-annoying Barry Kripke, the unluckiest man in Pasadena must somehow restore reality before everything collapses. Stuart Fails to Save the Universe follows his well-meaning but doomed attempts to fix the mess he created.
Stuart Fails to Save the Universe REVIEW
Episode 1
In the few short years that I've been doing this, I've found that writing a meaningful review for a single 30-minute episode of television is among the most challenging. That's only compounded by the fact that it's the pilot, before characters are firmly established or the writers have fully found the show's voice. Such is the case with the inaugural episode of Stuart Fails to Save the Universe.
As someone who found The Big Bang Theory only marginally amusing, best viewed as clips while doomscrolling on the comode, I went into this episode without the benefit of nostalgia-colored glasses to smooth out any flaws. If you were a fan of the original series, my guess is that you will get a pretty big kick out of this one. This review is for those who didn't watch it or didn't love it. Is Stuart Fails to Save the Universe Worth it for you?
What it Gets Right
So far, the goofy premise strikes a balance between its own low-rent ridiculousness and its high concept, promising something like a Sliders meets Gomer Pyle. Whether it can deliver or not, only time will tell, but the world they've built is sufficiently absurd to aid the audience in their suspension of disbelief, and Stuart's pitifulness, combined with his pleading puppy-dog eyes, will most likely be enough to sustain a couple of episodes.
As important as the ensemble's gelling, what almost certainly will be the deciding factor in the season's success or failure is the variety and quality of the parallel universes it presents in each episode.
This episode was zany but not extraordinarily so, and there wasn't much originality on display. However, that could work to the show's long-term benefit, as they deconstruct nostalgia from the inside. There simply isn't enough in these 30 minutes to confidently make that determination.
What they get Meh
There's a reason that Stuart, Kripkie, and Bert weren't the focus of the original series; their characters could begin to grate after a short time, and the actors who play Stuart and Bert aren't in any danger of being invited to Inside the Actor's Studio. Don't get me wrong, I love that one character that Brian Posehn plays as much as the next guy, but, ironically, I don't think he has the longest legs. Again, we'll see.
Recommendation
If you haven't already started watching, let me get a few episodes under my belt to let you know if it's worth your time.
WOKE REPORT
You're Only Getting Half the Picture.
This section is our site's secret sauce, and what truly separates us from the rest. If you don't read it, you haven't read our review.
Help us fight the Woke Mind Virus. Join today.
James Carrick
James Carrick is a passionate film enthusiast with a degree in theater and philosophy. James approaches dramatic criticism from a philosophic foundation grounded in aesthetics and ethics, offering insight and analysis that reveals layers of cinematic narrative with a touch of irreverence and a dash of snark.
Huh.
looks good
No audience reviews yet. Be the first to leave one.