Denise

 The Big Bang Theory history

Denise is the assistant manager of Stuart’s comic book store, the Comic Center of Pasadena, and his girlfriend. She was hired when the store started to become busier, bringing both comic book knowledge and a confident social presence to the business.

Denise was able to hold her own with the regular customers, including Sheldon, and even understood his comic book preferences. Her shared interests with Stuart helped their relationship develop, particularly after he impressed her with his Star Wars knowledge at Sheldon and Amy’s wedding.

By the end of The Big Bang Theory, Denise and Stuart were in a steady relationship, giving Stuart a rare positive turn in his personal life.

 Stuart Fails to Save the Universe history

When we meet Denise in 101 “Spoiler: Gary Dies”, she is surviving the post-apocalyptic ruins of Pasadena by robbing people at a marketplace outside the Rose Bowl. She pulls a gun on Stuart and Bert after observing Stuart bartering for floss. Denise and Stuart are shocked to find the other alive, having each believed their former partner was dead.

Denise is now with Gary, her boyfriend and partner in crime, whose previous girlfriend was killed by cannibals. Denise explains she gets by robbing people, although she is still working on her screenplay. After Stuart explains that an alternate version of himself sent him on a mission to Caltech to fix reality, Denise and Gary are sure he and Bert are going to die.

Despite their misgivings, Denise and Gary catch up with Stuart and Bert outside the heavily armed perimeter of Caltech to help. Gary reveals that he is a former Army Special Forces soldier and offers to create a diversion. He is killed immediately, leaving Denise grieving even as Stuart begins hoping they will get back together. As the three of them are held captive inside Caltech, Denise learns that Stuart was telling the truth when a long-imprisoned Raj explains that Sheldon, Leonard and Howard’s vari-state quantum interference device changed reality. Denise admits she had not believed Stuart for a minute.

When Barry Kripke, now the Grand Caliph of South Pasadena, takes an interest in Denise, Stuart tries to protect her by claiming they are together, but Denise makes clear they are not. Kripke has her taken away to be washed and killed after she refuses his advances.

Denise is held separately in a guarded room and expects to be killed, but she strikes up a conversation with her guard about his job in the “before times”. After Kripke visits her and admits that ruling his post-apocalyptic fiefdom is lonely, Denise says she has reconsidered having dinner with him and persuades him to untie her. Once free, she immediately attacks Kripke and escapes.

Denise reunites with Stuart, Bert and Raj just before they reach the device. While Stuart is hopeful that resetting reality might restore their relationship, Denise reminds him that she is still mourning Gary. After Kripke shoots Raj as he tries to reconfigure the machine, Denise helps Stuart follow Raj’s notes, only noticing at the last minute that the instructions continue with “But first…”. When the machine opens a wormhole, Stuart, Bert and Kripke are pulled into another reality while Denise is left behind in the post-apocalyptic world.

This page has been updated up to episode 101 Spoiler: Gary Dies