{"id":585735,"date":"2026-08-07T06:52:32","date_gmt":"2026-08-07T06:52:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/585735\/"},"modified":"2026-08-07T06:52:32","modified_gmt":"2026-08-07T06:52:32","slug":"stuart-fails-to-save-the-universe-season-1-episode-3-wastes-time-on-denise","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/585735\/","title":{"rendered":"Stuart Fails to Save the Universe Season 1 Episode 3 Wastes Time on Denise"},"content":{"rendered":"

Critic’s Rating: 3 \/ 5.0<\/p>\n

3<\/p>\n

I was seated for Stuart Fails to Save the Universe Season 1 Episode 3 after the way the previous episode ended.<\/p>\n

And then, meh.<\/p>\n

This was a mediocre installment in what could have been a fun romp into witch trials and a magical threat.<\/p>\n

\"Stuart (Colin Remas Brown\/HBO Max)<\/p>\n

Even The Big Bang Theory cameos couldn\u2019t save this one, as the entire focus was on Denise for absolutely no reason at all.<\/p>\n

Why Did Denise Decide to Leave?<\/p>\n

During Stuart Fails to Save the Universe Season 1<\/a> Episode 2, naturally, Stuart decided he needed to see the love of his life.<\/p>\n

However, this isn\u2019t the same world that he left behind, and Denise is somewhat happily married to Gary.<\/p>\n

In a surprising turn of events, she decides to leave Gary and follow Stuart, taking her into a new universe where she has to face the choices she\u2019s made.<\/p>\n

\"Stuart (Colin Remas Brown\/HBO Max)<\/p>\n

Now, I get it. Denise is from a world where she and Stuart were never together. She later tells the Magic World Gary that they had six years of happiness together.<\/p>\n

They barely argued \u2014 although that\u2019s because they weren\u2019t allowed to get mad thanks to the cube floating in the sky.<\/p>\n

So, why would she leave that? What did she think she was missing?<\/p>\n

I don\u2019t even think we get to the bottom of it all. Honestly, I lost track of the whole thing because I just didn\u2019t care.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s so much more going on throughout the episode that was far more interesting, and each time we went back to Denise at the bar or with Gary, I just rolled my eyes.<\/p>\n

\"Stuart (Colin Remas Brown\/HBO Max)<\/p>\n

I don\u2019t mind Denise, and I liked her character from the apocalypse world they were in, but now we\u2019re stuck with this one, which has a lot of unresolved issues.<\/p>\n

I guess in a way it\u2019s supposed to be a look at how emotions being controlled and suppressed lead to these issues.<\/p>\n

But there\u2019s a universe to save!<\/p>\n

Bert Finally Took Control<\/p>\n

My favorite part of the 18 minutes of Stuart Fails to Save the Universe<\/a> was seeing Bert take control.<\/p>\n

As Will Wheaton shows up to kill Stuart for helping Bernadette, Bert steps in the way.<\/p>\n

\"\" (Colin Remas Brown\/HBO Max)<\/p>\n

He\u2019s magic, and that\u2019s what saves him from being burned at the stake.<\/p>\n

Now, I will say that I could have done with a little more of an explanation as to why Bert was being burned at the stake.<\/p>\n

I assumed it was because he was magic, but he suddenly gained groupies as a result.<\/p>\n

This is why the time spent with Denise was a waste. There was so much more to delve into and explain in this universe.<\/p>\n

I feel like we learned so much about the apocalypse and the cube worlds. Why not this magic one? Was it because the writers didn\u2019t know where to go with it?<\/p>\n

\"Stuart (Courtesy of HBO Max)<\/p>\n

However, Bert finally took control, and we got to see some actual emotion from him.<\/p>\n

Yes, I laughed out loud when Kripke was turned into a penguin. He deserved it, although I think a weasel would have been more appropriate.<\/p>\n

The fight between Will and Bert added some fun action to the episode, something the previous installment missed.<\/p>\n

I ended up with a lot more questions about how powerful Bert was, considering he was able to take on Will so easily, and Will came across as such a high-ranking magical being \u2014 although he could have been faking that!<\/p>\n

I know we won\u2019t revisit that world, but I would love to just get some niggling questions answered.<\/p>\n

\"\" (Courtesy of HBO Max)<\/p>\n

Of Course, Bernadette Is a Demon<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve always loved how The Big Bang Theory<\/a> grew Bernadette\u2019s character into a sweet-sounding dictator. And I say that lovingly.<\/p>\n

She\u2019s so charming and nice when she wants to be, but when she gets mad, she\u2019s scary. Many of the characters on the original series pointed it out, including Penny and Howard!<\/p>\n

So, it made perfect sense that she would turn out to be a demon in this magic world. Even then, she had the sweet voice and apologized as she stepped on people.<\/p>\n

It brought the heart of the original series through in just a short scene.<\/p>\n

\"Stuart (Colin Remas Brown\/HBO Max)<\/p>\n

What could have happened had she managed to get her hands on the universe-jumping machine?<\/p>\n

I would love to see an alternate universe where that happened, but that isn\u2019t the point of this series. That\u2019s for fanfiction, I guess!<\/p>\n

Nobody would stand a chance against Bernie. <\/p>\n

Another question came up as I watched: how did the magical council bind her powers?<\/p>\n

She seems so unstoppable, and Will turned up almost in fear that Bernadette was loose. It would suggest that it took a lot of power to contain her and strip her of her powers.<\/p>\n

\"Stuart (Courtesy of HBO Max)<\/p>\n

I will say that while Stuart Fails to Save the Universe Season 1 Episode 2<\/a> reminded me a lot of Charmed<\/a> in the way the utopian society was set up, this episode reminded me a lot of Angel<\/a> in the way Bernadette looked.<\/p>\n

She was the spit of Lorne, just a giant version. Now I want to see some sort of karaoke bar where she sings and where other demons and magical creatures can hang out.<\/p>\n

It does bring up the wonder of how many other TV shows and movies have been used as inspiration for future episodes of the series.<\/p>\n

At least the series is keeping things unique and adding its own twists, so it is paying homage to the sci-fi that has come before rather than a direct copy, and I appreciate that.<\/p>\n

However, I need more of the failing-to-save-the-universe storyline in future episodes. No more of Denise wallowing in a bar.<\/p>\n

\"\" (HBO Max\/Screenshot)<\/p>\n

We love to hear from you!<\/p>\n

Not only do your comments help to keep independent journalism alive, but we just love to connect with fellow fans. <\/p>\n

So, drop your thoughts on the latest episode, and share your wishes for future ones in the comments below!<\/p>\n

\"Big<\/a><\/p>\n

Big Brother just said goodbye to another houseguest. Who won the Big Brother Blockbuster and who got booted out the door? Get the details. <\/p>\n

\"\u201cWe<\/a><\/p>\n

Showrunner Morwyn Brebner shares why Tracy Spiridakos is the perfect Anna Pigeon, the national park being its own character, and collaborating with talented women for this adaptation! Check it out! <\/p>\n

\"Gen<\/a><\/p>\n

Gen X women were ignored for decades. Now shows like Lioness, Five Star Weekend, Ride or Die, and The Morning Show prove TV finally sees us. <\/p>\n

\"The<\/a><\/p>\n

Ark One doesn\u2019t get a chance to mourn the loss of Brice, but it\u2019s possible that he\u2019s not dead on The Ark Season 3 Episode 2. <\/p>\n

\"Stuart<\/a><\/p>\n

What could have been a fun episode for Bert was overshadowed by Denise. Stuart Fails to Save the Universe Season 1 Episode 3 is mediocre. <\/p>\n

\"Star<\/a><\/p>\n

The stars of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds share their thoughts about Season 4 and why Star Trek is such a part of today\u2019s culture & society. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Critic’s Rating: 3 \/ 5.0 3 I was seated for Stuart Fails to Save the Universe Season 1…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":585736,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[29],"tags":[93,61,60,282],"class_list":["post-585735","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-tv","tag-entertainment","tag-ie","tag-ireland","tag-tv"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/585735","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=585735"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/585735\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/585736"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=585735"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=585735"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=585735"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}