7 Years Later, Things Just Got Worse For The Big Bang Theory’s Most Disappointing Character

The Big Bang Theory ended in 2019 as television's biggest comedy. While The Big Bang Theory finale was a warmly received, overwhelmingly optimistic sendoff for most of the Pasadena gang, the end of the show was just the beginning of the franchise, with Young Sheldon already in its second season. Young Sheldon and now Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage explore the Cooper family in Texas in the late 1980s and early '90s, but the newest installment in the TBBT universe is the biggest departure of any spinoff.

Stuart Fails to Save the Universe is the first Big Bang Theory spinoff to air on HBO Max instead of CBS, meaning it will get a season of 10 episodes instead of 20+. Stuart Fails to Save the Universe is a sci-fi comedy, meaning it will have less time to tell more story than the prequels.

The cast of Stuart Fails to Save the Universe was always going to have familiar faces, but the premiere had a surprise cameo by Raj Koothrappali. The Big Bang Theory fans shouldn’t get too attached to post-apocalyptic Raj, because he is the sacrificial lamb the premiere of Stuart Fails to Save the Universe makes to demonstrate the stakes of the sci-fi world. His unceremonious death feels like salt in the wound, but the series offers hope for a different ending.

Raj Deserved A Better Ending In The Big Bang Theory

Raj Koothrappali spent 12 seasons growing into a more confident version of himself, which made his ending in The Big Bang Theory particularly sad. He was arguably the most openly romantic member of the Pasadena gang, yet Raj was the only one who ended TBBT single.

That might have worked if Raj's finale had offered another kind of major victory, but his story simply felt unfinished. Howard underwent the biggest transformation in TBBT, evolving from an immature creep into a husband, father, and astronaut. Sheldon won the Nobel Prize and learned to better appreciate the people around him, while Leonard and Penny were expecting their first child. Even Stuart, who spent years as the group's perpetually lonely punching bag, found love with Denise.

Growing considerably from the man who couldn't speak to women without alcohol, Raj overcoming his selective mutism was a major turning point, even if The Big Bang Theory ultimately seemed more interested in retiring the running joke than exploring the psychological reasons behind it.

Unfortunately, TBBT never found a compelling direction for Raj afterward. Raj didn't necessarily need to get married to have a satisfying ending, but he deserved some kind of personal or professional triumph that demonstrated how far he had come. It felt as if TBBT needed one member of the group to remain single, and Raj drew the short straw.

In a bittersweet twist, Stuart Fails to Save the Universe finally gives Raj the romantic milestone his original ending lacked. This version of Raj found love and got married, even if his happiness didn't last particularly long, considering his wife was subsequently eaten by a giant moth.

Raj’s Death Bodes Poorly For Stuart Fails To Save The Universe

Raj's cameo is admittedly an effective surprise. While The Big Bang Theory isn't exactly Game of Thrones in terms of audience appetite for spoilers, the creative team deserves credit for keeping Kunal Nayyar's appearance completely under wraps until the premiere.

Unfortunately, the shock value quickly gives way to a feeling that Raj is being sacrificed primarily to prove that Stuart Fails to Save the Universe has real stakes. That approach risks feeling more emotionally manipulative than genuinely earned.

Raj's death doesn't have the same impact as a tragedy that grows organically from a character's journey. Instead, it comes across as a shortcut for establishing danger, effectively treating one of the franchise's most beloved characters like a redshirt. That concern is especially frustrating given Raj's already underwhelming ending in The Big Bang Theory. Rather than building on his unfinished story, the spinoff initially appears to make it even sadder.

The show has a stronger premise than execution, even as it lays the groundwork for a more promising second season. Stuart and his companions travel to alternate realities throughout the season, so there's every reason to believe another version of Raj could appear in the future of Stuart Fails to Save the Universe. Whether that happens remains to be seen, but it would be a fitting opportunity to finally give one of The Big Bang Theory's most lovable characters the satisfying ending he never had.