Spin-offs aim to capture the popularity of a successful series, but in order to stand on their own, need to have a hook that isn’t the same and which works without the participation of key actors, characters, and the original show’s premise. It’s challenging to find the right balance to allow lightning to strike again, and to do so in a way that simultaneously invites new audiences without any preexisting familiarity of this world. Stuart Fails to Save the Universe is different enough from The Big Bang Theory that it may just accomplish that, even if it’s hardly trying to be the most sophisticated show ever made.
Stuart (Kevin Sussman) runs his comic book store in the midst of the apocalypse, and a visit from a version of himself from another universe reveals that this isn’t how things are supposed to be, and he’s the only one who can save the world. Accompanied by his friends Bert (Brian Posehn) and Kripke (John Ross Bowie), and his girlfriend Denise (Lauren Lapkus), he travels from universe to universe with the help of a device created by Sheldon and Leonard, discovering the very specific idiosyncrasies that set each one apart.
As a casual watcher of The Big Bang Theory capable of recognizing Stuart but not knowing much about him, this reviewer can attest that watching the twelve seasons of that CBS sitcom is not a prerequisite for beginning or enjoying this show. Yes, cameo appearances by familiar faces may be more entertaining and satisfying as a result, but even if those mean nothing, it’s fine since the focus here is on this foursome and how each member finds something to appreciate about a world that the others couldn’t possibly stand for more than the one episode or so they spend there.
While it’s not pretending to be sophisticated, there is a cleverness to the conception of these universes and how the characters begin to realize that something is off that at first didn’t seem foreign. Discovering that humans in one reality are descended from cows and as a result have four stomachs is one such example, as well as one world where getting angry leads to a pacifying zap. It presents a reason to watch these guys as they come to appreciate what they value and what small things they hadn’t even bothered to notice until they weren’t there or looked very different.
Sussman plays Stuart as endearing enough that it’s easy to find him sympathetic, even if he’s not doing much to better his situation – or the fate of the universe, of course – and is often more focused on how his relationship with Denise can be improved by whatever surroundings in which he finds himself. Posehn and Bowie are committed to how their characters are drawn and seeing how they feed off their environments as they change, and Lapkus gives Denise just enough personality to make it apparent why Stuart is so drawn to her.
The television landscape has become so broad that there’s something for everyone now, and that’s a great thing. CBS has kept the laugh track alive much longer than anyone out there, and while this spin-off doesn’t actually have one, it should appeal to the same crowd looking for a sitcom that doesn’t require much investment or concentration, especially since each episode reframes the entire setup. Stuart Fails to Save the Universe is light and fleeting in a way that works perfectly for what it’s intended to be, an easy comedy to slip in and out of, offering audiences the chance to turn their brains off and enjoy something that can be as immersive as they want it to be, conveniently broken into episodic chunks that function perfectly sufficiently on their own.
Season grade: 6/10
