‘Stuart Fails to Save the Universe’: Kevin Sussman on the Cruel Twist That’s So Perfectly Stuart

After bouncing through increasingly bizarre corners of the multiverse, Stuart (Kevin Sussman) and the gang’s latest adventure takes them somewhere they have never been before: Paradise. Warning: Spoilers ahead for Stuart Fails to Save the Universe Episode 5 “Spoiler: Gary Works for UPS.”

A beautiful island where there is no technology, no everyday hustle and bustle, no freak magic users looking to kill all the scientists, and no destructive AI controlling the moods of its population, this particular universe looks a lot more inviting than the places they have recently visited.

The episode is directed by Star Trek: The Next Generation veteran Jonathan Frakes, who spoke about the experience on the All Access Star Trek podcast. “Chuck Lorre is the boss and Bill Prady is the boss and Zak Penn is the boss, and that trio is astounding,” Frakes said.

John Ross Bowie, who plays Kripke, had high praise for Frakes, telling Nerdtropolis that the director embraced the opportunity to do something different. “He was just so psyched to be directing this sort of broad comedy,” Bowie said, noting that while Frakes had directed extensively within the Star Trek franchise, “he hadn’t done anything like this.”

“He’s got such a dry sense of humor that he hasn’t really been allowed to play with,” Bowie added. “So, yeah, that was really delightful.”

The device drops the group into a seemingly idyllic paradise with no technology, no modern problems, and, at least at first, very little to complain about. Denise (Lauren Lapkus) and Stuart are vibing, Kripke is having sex with the natives, and Bert (Brian Posehn) is in a relationship with a beautiful islander. So, naturally, their arrival changes that pretty quickly.

When their device begins smoking, Stuart becomes increasingly determined to figure out who has been sending them the mysterious messages guiding their journey.

He and Denise are also struggling with being separated from their kids, who were left behind in the previous dimension. For Stuart and Denise, leaving their kids behind adds another layer of heartbreak to an already cruel situation: They know they had a family they loved, even if that life no longer exists. So, why give Stuart something so perfect only to take it away?

“I think Chuck [Lorre] just thought that was funny,” Kevin Sussman told TV Insider. “What is more Stuart than finally having this ideal life, and then it winds up not being real? That’s exceptionally Stuart.”

Sussman sees a meta element to the storyline as well, pointing out that The Big Bang Theory ended just as Stuart finally found happiness with Denise. “Right before Stuart gets to expand his romantic life, and we get to explore that stuff, [the show ends], and that is the most Stuart thing that could happen,” he says. The spinoff, however, finally gives their relationship more room to grow. “We get to see Stuart and Denise in a way that’s more intimate, really, than [the multicam] would have allowed.”

Meanwhile, Kripke begins introducing the islanders to capitalism and teaching them to put their own interests first, while Bert introduces them to the concept of jealousy. Their lessons quickly take hold, turning the once-peaceful community selfish and competitive as arguments and fighting begin to break out across the once-peaceful island.

Stuart’s search for clues eventually has him digging through fecal matter, where he discovers another mysterious message: “Use Red Quartz.”

By then, however, they have a much bigger problem on their hands, as they have destroyed their island paradise. Realizing they have managed to ruin Eden, the group decides it’s time to exit. Leaving behind the chaos and destruction of a once-peaceful society, the gang jumps to another universe, where their next adventure immediately gets off to a questionable start when Denise eats a leaf.

Stuart Fails to Save the Universe, Thursdays, 9/8c, HBO Max