The Big Bang Theory Cameos
Keep track of every cast member and guest star from The Big Bang Theory who appears on Stuart Fails to Save the Universe.
Series Regulars
Kevin Sussman, Lauren Lapkus, Brian Posehn and John Ross Bowie reprise their Big Bang Theory roles as comic book store owner Stuart Bloom; his girlfriend and co-worker, Denise; Caltech geologist Bert Kibbler; and the ever-irritating physicist Barry Kripke.
Recurring Cast
Josh Brener plays Trevor, one of the regular customers at Stuart’s comic book store. Brener appeared in two episodes of The Big Bang Theory as Dale, an employee at the store.
Ryan Cartwright plays Kyle, another comic book store regular. Cartwright guest starred on The Big Bang Theory as Cole, Penny’s classmate from community college.
101 “Spoiler: Gary Dies”
Magicians Penn Jillette and Teller appear as themselves in the post-apocalyptic reality. The famously silent Teller played Amy Farrah Fowler’s taciturn father, Larry, on The Big Bang Theory and even spoke in one episode. Penn and Teller later appeared together on Young Sheldon as Acne Vulgaris and his sidekick, Pus.
Later in the episode, Kunal Nayyar returns as Raj Koothrappali. Stuart, Bert and Denise find Raj imprisoned in a room at Caltech, where years of confinement have left him a little unhinged. Despite that, he has worked out what went wrong with the universe and believes he can repair the vari-state quantum interference device.
Raj joins Stuart and Bert on an explosive journey through the university to reach the device. Before he can repair it and restore reality, however, Kripke fatally shoots him.
102 “Spoiler: Zack’s in This One”
Riki Lindhome reprises her role as Ramona Nowitzki, who works as a Caltech receptionist in the reality controlled by an artificial-intelligence overlord. Although outwardly friendly, Ramona proves less than helpful when Bert and Kripke try to reach Sheldon and Leonard, whose expertise they need to operate the quantum device.
Theater, film, and television’s Christine Baranski appears as herself in the introductory film shown at the re-education camp where Stuart, Bert and Kripke are imprisoned. Baranski played Leonard’s brilliant but emotionally distant mother, Dr. Beverly Hofstadter, on The Big Bang Theory.
Later in the episode, Kaley Cuoco returns as an alternate-universe Penny, now the leader of an armed resistance against the AI regime. Brian Thomas Smith also reprises his role as Penny’s good-natured but dim-witted ex-boyfriend Zack, who serves as one of her lieutenants.
The Resistance “rescues” Stuart, Bert and Kripke moments after their release from a thirty-month stay at a re-education center. When Penny discovers that neither the men nor their quantum device can help defeat the AI overlord, she orders their execution. A drone attack by the AI overlord gives the group an opportunity to escape, although Zack is shot in the assault.
103 “Spoiler: Bert is Magic”
Melissa Rauch reprises her role as Bernadette Rostenkowski in a world governed by magic. When Stuart and Kripke need mystical assistance with the vari-state quantum interference device, they are directed to Bernadette, a powerful sorceress.
Bernadette explains that the Wizards Guild of America stripped her of her powers after she helped bring a neighbor’s dog back to life. She persuades Stuart to give her some of his blood, which she needs to brew a potion that will restore her magic.
Later in the episode, Wil Wheaton plays a heightened version of himself, much as he did on The Big Bang Theory, where he evolved from Sheldon’s mortal enemy into a friend of the group. In this reality, Wheaton is an enforcer for the Wizards Guild of America. Furious that Stuart has aided the demon Bernadette, he arrives at the comic book store to punish him. Bert, who possesses magical powers in this universe, fights off Wheaton and eventually kills him.
Although the group initially dismisses Wil Wheaton’s warnings, Kripke soon alerts them to the fact that Bernadette is now a five-story-tall demon rampaging through Pasadena, crushing people underfoot and plucking them from buildings. She tears the roof off the comic book store in an attempt to seize the quantum device, but the gang escapes just in time.
104 “Spoiler: Stuart Makes a Wallet”
Mayim Bialik reprises her role as Dr. Amy Farrah Fowler, swapping neurobiology for psychiatry in this reality. Amy is treating Stuart, who has been confined to a psychiatric hospital because of his claims that he has traveled through alternate universes.
After Stuart learns that he and Denise are married and have children in this reality, he commits to getting better, and Amy eventually agrees to let him go home.
106 “Spoiler: Corn is Delicious”
Kunal Nayyar returns as Raj Koothrappali, becoming the first regular cast member from The Big Bang Theory to appear a second time. In a peaceful, technologically advanced society where humans evolved from cows, astrophysicist Raj has become a street-corner doomsday prophet, warning people that the universe is collapsing.
When Stuart and Denise recognize him, Raj steps down from his soapbox to talk to his friends. He tells them that entire star systems are disappearing from the edge of the universe and that everything they know and love will be gone within the next three or four hundred years. Although Raj fails to instill his sense of existential dread in Stuart and Denise, they tell him that it was good to see him and wish him luck. After they walk away, Raj returns to his soapbox and warns, “We’re all going to die!”
107 “Spoiler: Dexys Midnight Runners Get a Royalty Payment”
Melissa Rauch returns as Bernadette Rostenkowski, who works as a children’s dance instructor in the telepathic reality, where everyone can hear one another’s thoughts. The group tracks her down after learning that Howard Wolowitz does not work at Caltech, but Bernadette doesn’t recognize them or know Howard.
Bernadette is a sharp-tongued and deeply unhappy teacher who appears unconcerned about her harsher thoughts being overheard, since she seems perfectly willing to say everything out loud anyway. She berates her young students as “baby hippos” and “future eating disorders”, while revealing to the group that her mother pushed her into beauty pageants and fed her diet pills in pursuit of the Miss California Quiznos 1999 title. When Stuart apologizes for wasting her time, Bernadette thinks it wouldn’t be a waste of time if they killed her.
Riki Lindhome returns as Ramona Nowitzki, who is once again working at reception at Caltech. She tells the group that no one named Howard Wolowitz works there. Although Ramona is outwardly polite and helpful, she merely pretends to check again whether Howard works there. Her thoughts also reveal that she feels trapped in the job because it provides health insurance for her and her drummer husband.
When the group returns with the quantum device, they sing “Come On Eileen” in their minds to prevent Ramona from discovering their plan. Stuart explains their strange behavior by describing the song as an earworm, causing Ramona to think of “Dust in the Wind” and become tearful as she sings it in her head.
108 “Spoiler: We’re as Confused as You Are”
Kaley Cuoco returns as Firing Squad Penny, a military prosecutor known for sending defendants to their deaths in the war-torn reality. After Stuart and his companions are caught abandoning their unit, Penny prosecutes them for cowardice, desertion, espionage, murder, and mutiny. She presents their quantum device as equipment used to communicate with the enemy. Neither their advocate, Captain Siebert, nor Stuart’s own appeal is enough to convince the judges to spare them.
Before the execution, Penny offers to commute their sentences to a life of hard labor if Stuart uses the device to transmit a fake battle plan. Stuart eagerly accepts the deal and then activates the quantum device to escape, inadvertently taking Penny with them to the centaur universe. When the group reactivates the machine and leaves her behind, Penny begins to enjoy her new form, admitting, “I do not hate this.”
Joshua Malina, who played Caltech President Siebert on The Big Bang Theory, returns as Captain Siebert, a military advocate assigned to defend Stuart and his companions. Having spoken to the judges and examined the evidence against them, Siebert assures the group that the proceedings should not take long. When Stuart asks, “Because we’re innocent?” Siebert offers an unconvincing “Sure.”
Siebert is further dismayed to learn that the prosecutor is “Firing Squad Penny”. When she asks whether these are his traitors, he replies, “Yes. I mean, they’re presumed not to be, but yes.” After hearing the charges, he recommends pleading guilty to “just rip the Band-Aid off”, prompting Stuart to insist that they are not guilty.
Siebert’s attempts to defend the group fare little better. He asks whether anyone can really know what happened in the fog of war, only for Penny to reply, “We have video.” Starting again, he concedes that his clients are “clearly guilty” but asks whether “a nation of God-fearing men and women” would best demonstrate its values by showing mercy to “these miserable, undeserving wretches”. General Adams answers with a flat “No.” Siebert turns to Stuart and asks, “Have you got anything?” As the court adjourns to consider its verdict, he offers his clients a hopeful “Fingers crossed.”
Dean Norris, who played Colonel Williams, the Air Force representative overseeing Sheldon, Leonard and Howard’s quantum gyroscope project on The Big Bang Theory, returns as Captain Williams. He takes command of Charlie Company after Lieutenant Jeffries and his deputy are killed. Williams bluntly warns the troops that new intelligence suggests they are in even worse shape than the day before. He objects when Kripke describes the previous day as a “massacre”. When Kripke substitutes “bloodbath”, Williams agrees, “Sure, I’ll give you bloodbath.”
Acknowledging that the troops are “shitting the proverbial brick”, Williams tries to give them hope by suggesting that future generations of overweight men will reenact their coming battle, then go out for beer and wings to discuss how the soldiers died noble deaths. “A noble death. Kind of tickles the balls, don’t it?” When Bert asks what they are fighting for, Williams answers, “Family, country, God.” The enemy, he explains, is fighting for “the wrong family, the wrong country, and the wrong god”. He concludes by warning them not to get wounded because they are running low on morphine.
109 “Spoiler: We Couldn’t Get Green Lantern”
Riki Lindhome returns as Ramona Nowitzki, a Gotham Air gate attendant at Archie Goodwin Airport in the comic book reality. While Stuart and his companions wait for their flight to Central City, she announces she has good news and bad news: the maintenance issue has been resolved, but the crew has now timed out, leaving the passengers waiting for a replacement crew. In the meantime, she says, the airline is handing out ten-dollar meal vouchers. She adds a warning: “Pro tip, avoid the airport sushi.” Unfortunately, the suggestion only makes Denise want sushi.
Mayim Bialik returns as Amy Farrah Fowler, who is married to Jay Garrick, the Golden Age Flash, in the comic book reality. When the group arrive at his home seeking help, Stuart is surprised to find Amy there, having expected Jay’s girlfriend to be Joan. Amy explains, “Joan took her Subaru and headed to Portland, if you know what I mean.” After Jay inadvertently confirms his superhero identity while defending the smoke break that gave him his powers, Amy sighs and tells him to let the group in.
Learning that their visitors need Jay’s Cosmic Treadmill, Amy welcomes the prospect of reclaiming space in the garage for her car. When Jay mentions his super speed, Denise asks whether she can pose a personal question. Amy answers without needing further explanation: “It’s over before I even know it started.” Later, Jay can’t find his helmet in his secret closet and asks what her rollerblades are doing there. She counters, “I don’t know. What’s your cosmic treadmill doing in the garage?” When he finally finds the helmet, she calls out, “Mazel tov.”
This page has been updated up to episode 109 Spoiler: We Couldn't Get Green Lantern