‘Stuart Fails to Save the Universe’ Creators Say the Plot Holes Are ‘Entirely on Purpose’
Plus, learn more about the dynamics and creation of the 'The Big Bang Theory' spinoff
Key Takeaways
- Creators admit the show's confusing plot holes and timelines are intentional.
- Chuck Lorre says there won't be a 'Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage' crossover.
- 'Stuart Fails to Save the Universe' airs new episodes Thursdays on HBO Max.
If you’ve been tuning into the newest spinoff from The Big Bang Theory universe and finding yourself a little confused, take a deep breath—you’re not missing anything. That head-scratching feeling is exactly what the creators were going for, and they’re having a wonderful time with it.
The team behind Stuart Fails to Save the Universe, now airing Thursdays on HBO Max, says the tangled story lines and plot holes woven throughout the first season are entirely on purpose. In truth, it just makes the show more fun to watch.
The creators come clean about the chaos
In an exclusive interview, creators Chuck Lorre, Zak Penn and Bill Prady admitted they weren’t exactly working from a detailed master plan while crafting this multiverse-hopping comedy—and they’re the first to laugh about it.
“We were always completely on top of it,” Penn joked, telling Us Weekly, “Each morning we would get together and go over this big chart.”
Lorre was quick to set the record straight, cheerfully admitting they were actually “clueless” about the big picture. “We were absolutely in a dark room trying to figure out the elephant,” he said.
Penn gave credit to Prady for having a “better sense” of how the story flowed. Prady, meanwhile, said only one element of the show came close to being airtight. “I kept track of one thing, which was the loop,” he shared. “And it’s not 100 percent right but it’s close enough.”
Why the plot holes are part of the fun
Rather than viewing gaps in the story as flaws, the creators see them as essential to the comedy’s charm—and part of what makes the show feel so playful. Penn argued that if the show didn’t have plot holes, “then we didn’t do our job.” Prady added that the characters themselves “notice them along the way,” which just makes the confusion funnier.
Lorre offered his own take on how viewers should approach the series: “Ultimately, if you’re looking for plot loopholes and you’re not laughing, we failed.”
In other words, if you’re too busy playing detective to enjoy the jokes, the show hasn’t done what it set out to do. So permission granted—laugh first, question the multiverse later.
What the show is really about
For anyone who hasn’t caught up yet, Stuart Fails to Save the Universe follows Stuart Bloom, the lovable comic book store owner from The Big Bang Theory, as he faces the daunting task of restoring reality after he breaks a device built by Sheldon and Leonard, accidentally bringing about a multiverse Armageddon. (As storylines go, that’s quite the pickle.)
According to the show’s official synopsis, Stuart “is aided in this quest by his girlfriend Denise, geologist friend Bert and quantum physicist/all-around pain in the ass Barry Kripke. Along the way, they meet alternate-universe versions of characters we’ve come to know and love from The Big Bang Theory. As the title implies, things don’t go well.”
That premise gives longtime fans plenty to look forward to, from surprise appearances to fresh takes on familiar faces we’ve missed.
Don’t expect a ‘Georgie and Mandy’ crossover
While the multiverse opens up endless possibilities, fans hoping for a crossover with the other Big Bang spinoff, Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage, will have to keep waiting.
“[There will be] no East Texas in this show,” Lorre told Us Weekly . “No, I don’t think so. Let them exist in their own worlds.”
Lorre admitted he doesn’t quite see how the two shows could naturally interact. “Lots of stuff gets pitched before we decide what to do,” he added. “So you never know.” Prady, however, floated a playful solution: “We do some time travel.”
A refresher on the growing ‘Big Bang’ family
If you’re trying to keep track of the ever-expanding Big Bang Theory family tree, here’s where things stand. The original series aired on CBS from 2007 to 2019 and starred Jim Parsons, Kaley Cuoco, Johnny Galecki, Simon Helberg, Kunal Nayyar, Mayim Bialik and Melissa Rauch. Over its 12-season run, the show earned 10 Emmy Awards.
Then came Young Sheldon, the prequel that followed Sheldon’s life as a child prodigy, played by Iain Armitage. That series introduced Sheldon’s brother, Georgie (Montana Jordan), whose love story with Mandy (Emily Osment) inspired yet another spinoff, Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage.
Now, Stuart Fails to Save the Universe joins the lineup, led by Kevin Sussman, Brian Posehn, John Ross Bowie and Lauren Lapkus.
Sussman on slipping back into Stuart’s shoes
For Sussman, returning to Stuart felt like putting on a favorite old cardigan. “For me, Stuart came back to me pretty quickly,” he shared. “Because the original Stuart was sadly not too different than me. So it was pretty much the same.”
“Stuart has never really been a character where I’ve thought, ‘OK, who is this guy?’ It’s always just been about, ‘What are these circumstances now?’ So less about who I am and more about how do I navigate all this craziness that’s happening.”
New episodes of Stuart Fails to Save the Universe air Thursdays on HBO Max.
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