Stuart Fails to Save the Universe reminds us that classic sitcoms have occasionally produced great spinoffs. However, those successes are few and far between. For every Frasier, one of the rare spinoffs to surpass its predecessor, Cheers, there have been countless spectacular failures. Friends gave us the disappointing Joey; The Golden Palace closed its doors after The Golden Girls; and even Married… with Children spawned Top of the Heap, which got the ax after just seven dreadful episodes.
Then there are shows like Stuart Fails to Save the Universe, less a traditional spinoff than a companion series to the megahit The Big Bang Theory, that reinvent the Chuck Lorre sitcom hamster wheel by delivering something not only funny but endlessly clever. This is easily the best new sitcom of the year because of the sharp ensemble and cosmic chaos that constantly entertains its audience.
The story follows Stuart Bloom (Ugly Betty’s Kevin Sussman, very funny here), the current owner of Leonard, Sheldon, Howard, and Rajesh’s favorite shop, the Comic Center of Pasadena. Except, in this world, presumably set during the era of the original series. Pasadena experiences a big bang of its own, leaving America at the center of a worldwide apocalypse, where only the strong survive.
What is HBO Max’s Stuart Fails to Save the Universe about?
Kevin Sussman, Brian Posehn, Lauren Lapkus, and John Ross Bowie in Stuart Fails to Save the Universe (2026) | Image via Warner Bros. Discovery
Lauren Lapkus and Kevin Sussman in Stuart Fails to Save the Universe (2026) | Image via Warner Bros. Discovery
Kevin Sussman, Brian Posehn, Lauren Lapkus, and John Ross Bowie in Stuart Fails to Save the Universe (2026) | Image via Warner Bros. Discovery
Kevin Sussman in Stuart Fails to Save the Universe (2026) | Image via Warner Bros. Discovery
Kevin Sussman in Stuart Fails to Save the Universe (2026) | Image via Warner Bros. Discovery
Lauren Lapkus and Kevin Sussman in Stuart Fails to Save the Universe (2026) | Image via Warner Bros. Discovery
That is, until Stuart is visited by an alternate version of himself, who tells him to find a quantum-interference device that could help save the world from Armageddon by sending him back in time. Stuart brings along his geologist friend/best customer, Bert (The Mandalorian’s Brian Posehn); they make the trek through Pasadena’s dangerous streets, where Stuart faces his biggest fear.
That person is Denise (Jurassic World’s Lauren Lapkus). The two were in love the last time we saw them, but Denise is now shacked up with Gary (Tommy Walker), a man seemingly better equipped to keep her safe in a world where danger is imminent. Soon, they run into Kripke (the hilarious John Ross Bowie), who aligns with the gang only if it suits him.
Based on characters created by Chuck Lorre, Stuart Fails to Save the Universe was developed by Lorre, Zak Penn (Alphas), and Bill Prady (The Muppets), who bring the same comic timing and chemistry that made the original series so successful. That had me worried, however, since the show builds a big-budget adventure around a character who was essentially equivalent to Gunther from Friends.
HBO Max’s Stuart Fails to Save the Universe Review
Kevin Sussman, Brian Posehn, Lauren Lapkus, andJohn Ross Bowie in Stuart Fails to Save the Universe (2026) | Image via Warner Bros. Discovery
The jokes remain broad and familiar, but Lorre and Prady still know how to use the cast’s timing and reactions to define each character. Sussman’s Stuart escalates the chaos; in turn, Bowie’s Kripke agitates, Posen’s Bert grounds the scenes, and Lapkus’s Denise punctures their geeky knowledge and fandom. Yes, it follows the same formula as the original series, but it still works.
The series also plays like a comic book, with each episode introducing a new reality. It feels like the love child of Sliders and Groundhog Day, jumping between alternate universes while trapping its newfound heroes in endless cycles of comic, cosmic do-overs and course corrections. Each chapter is hilarious, smart, and exciting, with endless possibilities for Stuart to fail, adapt, and try again.
Obviously, the series is not as consistently laugh-out-loud funny as the original. Then again, what show could be? That is where Lorre proves smart, reinventing The Big Bang Theory universe, the BBU, of course, as something different, amusing, funny, and full of nerdy heart. The finale is also a little too meta for my taste, even if it fits the world the series has created.
Is HBO Max’s Stuart Fails to Save the Universe worth watching?
Kevin Sussman, Brian Posehn, Lauren Lapkus, andJohn Ross Bowie in Stuart Fails to Save the Universe (2026) | Image via Warner Bros. Discovery
Yet, Stuart Fails to Save the Universe works on so many levels, as a comedy, science-fiction adventure, live-action comic book, character study, and franchise reinvention, that it is hard not to be taken with it. Posehn is a killer straight man, armed with a perfectly deadpan delivery, while Bowie’s absurdist agitator goes straight for the funny bone. However, the series wouldn’t be the finished product it was without the leads.
Lapkus is bluntly hilarious while also giving the series genuine depth. And of course, Sussman, the everyman, comic underdog, and emotional center, makes his vulnerability, insecurity, and reluctant heroism feel genuine and incredibly endearing. Then there are the running gags involving characters named Gary (Tommy Walker), Trevor (Josh Brener), and Kyle (Ryan Cartwright), all of which showcase the comic skill at work.
We have not even mentioned the series’ major cameos, mostly because Warner Bros. Discovery might name me in a lawsuit if I do. These are the elements that make this spinoff one of the year’s best new comedies, because Stuart Fails to Save the Universe succeeds when it matters most.
Stuart Fails to Save the Universe streams on HBO Max starting July 23rd, with new episodes dropping each week up until September 24th! All ten episodes were screened for this review.
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