The Big Bang Theory as a franchise has seen two very successful prequels branching out of its shadow in the form of Young Sheldon and Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage. However, the appetite for a true spinoff was still there and when Stuart Fails to Save the Universe was first announced, fans were all in for a wild ride with beloved side characters like uncomfortable comic book store owner Stuart Bloom (Kevin Sussman), his former fiancée Denise (Lauren Lapkus), geologist Bert Kibbler (Brian Posehn), and jerk physicist Barry Kripke (John Ross Bowie). 

The premise was already so wacky, with a post-apocalyptic world as a setting and the most unlikely bunch given the responsibility to fix all of reality, which created a lot of buzz even before its release. Now that the first episode of the new HBO Max series has already dropped, it can be confirmed that the level of madness is several times higher than teased before the release. 

The first episode wastes no time and tasks the protagonist of the spinoff, Stuart, with restoring the distorted reality. 

The opening gives a glimpse of Pasadena, or what is left of it in this post-apocalyptic world. Violence among the survivors, creepy zombie hands popping out of the ground, and big scary moths are commonplace in this reality. Amidst the chaos, Stuart’s comic book store is still standing and selling comics, just not for money now. 

Since the civilization has collapsed and the concept of money seems to have completely disappeared from the world, people have now turned to the ancient barter system, where they exchange provisions for whatever they want to buy. It is truly a devastating reality, but we are in a sitcom, so it is turned into a goldmine of laughs. For example, the unwarranted killing among customers in Stuart’s comic book store would have been horrifying if the reason behind it had not been a squabble between comic book nerds over Hawk Eye’s legitimacy as an Avenger. 

Anyhow, after quickly giving us the feel of the situation, the show brings Stuart from another reality, who informs Stuart of this reality and Bert that Sheldon, Leonard, and Howard created a quantum interference device that created innumerable unstable universes. Before all versions of existence fall apart, Stuart needs to fix that machine. However, he could not tell them how to stop it, but he did instruct them that they need to go to Caltech in order to find the device that caused it all.

The duo sets out for Caltech in an attempt to undo the harm that the broken quantum gadget has created. They come across even stranger things along the way, such as Penn and Teller juggling little stray animals in return for food cans, and more giant moths. There is a general sense of lawlessness with road bandits and more violence around the corner.

When they think they are being attacked by road bandits at the Rose Bowl, they find out that the thug is Denise (Lauren Lapkus), who has been surviving by robbing people while still writing her screenplay. It breaks Stuart's heart a little to know that she is now with Gary (Michael Urie), who is hot but is a kind of jerk. However, Stuart does not dwell too much on the past or his lingering feelings for Denise and carries on with his mission. 

In a surprising turn of events, Denise and Gary follow them and offer their assistance, as Caltech is not what it used to be - it has now become a "deathtrap." Regardless, the four make their way to Caltech, where they encounter sniper fire. Stuart, Bert, and Denise are taken into custody as soon as Gary is shot, which is where the title of the episode, Spoiler: Gary Dies, comes from.

Do You Need to Watch 'The Big Bang Theory' Before 'Stuart Fails to Save the Universe'? A Complete Guide to the Spin-Off

At this point in the story, the show decides to shake things up with a big surprise for the fans of the original series.

They meet Raj Koothrappali (Kunal Nayyar), who is held captive inside Bert's classroom. Raj, who has a full beard and is in need of human interaction, recounts how the malfunction of Leonard, Sheldon, and Howard's quantum interference gadget altered reality, history, and the cosmos. He also describes how, as is consistent with his character arc, he was briefly married, but his wife was eaten by a big moth. He is currently terrified of Barry Kripke, the Supreme Leader who controls Caltech with an iron grip.

Even though this version of Raj has experienced far stranger things, Nayyar returns to the part with the familiar awkwardness in Raj's demeanor and that adorable whiny tone that makes his character so endearing. Additionally, he was given the romantic conclusion that The Big Bang Theory had denied him. After arriving at his wedding on an elephant, Raj got married, but his bride was later eaten by a massive moth. 

Although the show keeps up with Raj's terrible luck with romantic relationships and companionship after all these years, fans might find it a little sad for the character. Even after Raj found love, the universe still would not let him hold onto it while his other friends get to have a happy family life.

With almost everything in place, the only thing left is to know how Barry Kripke fits into all this, as he is also touted to be a core member of the group in this spinoff.

In this universe, Barry is significantly more heinous than the arrogant physicist that viewers recall. He has seized power at Caltech, amassed armed supporters, and proclaimed himself the Grand Caliph of Monrovia, Flintridge, and South Pasadena. After the world changed, Barry Kripke swiftly seized power, taking women, food, and firearms. 

Even after having all that power, Denise still rejects Kripke's advances, so he orders her execution. But he makes the error of placing the boys in Bert's former classroom after separating Denise from them. Bert harnesses the power of geology to its fullest by creating grenades from the items found in the classroom, which then explode across the hallways. 

Elsewhere, Denise somehow outsmarts Kripke and escapes his clutches, rejoining the crew in the hallways. The gang arrives at the quantum device, and Raj begins to fix the gadget that will supposedly restore reality back to normal. But Kripke does not want that, as he has everything he has ever dreamed of here, in this reality. Therefore, in an attempt to desperately hang on to his glory in the current universe, he shoots Raj.

With Raj dead, he thought he had won, but Raj left detailed instructions on a paper as to how to recalibrate the device. Denise and Stuart carefully follow the instructions and try to repair the gadget while Bert beats Barry to a pulp. Denise and Stuart are able to get the machine operating, but when it looks like it is about to blow up, Denise hides while Stuart, Bert, and Kripke are dragged into the next world.

The three arrive at what looks to be a typical Pasadena Comic Center. They all fail to see a green crystal stuck in the back of their necks as they admire the absence of chaos, violence, enormous moths, and zombies from the window. But this world is still not the one they wanted to get back to. The next episode will show how Stuart and co. will navigate the show’s mind-bending multiverse rules to escape the new reality they are in.

‘Stuart Fails to Save the Universe’: Release Date, Plot, Cast and Everything You Need to Know

Do you think Stuart and his friends will be able to fix their mistake in the next episode? Do let us know.