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‘Stuart’ Episode 3: Wil Wheaton, Brian Posehn & John Ross Bowie Talk Wizards, Puppies, Penguins, Fireball Fight, Easter Egg & That Shocking Death
HBO Max's Big Bang Theory spinoff Stuart Fails To Save the Universe killed off another original cast member in its third episode, with Wil Wheaton's character dispatched by magic. It marks the second death of a returning original actor within the show's opening episodes, following Kunal Nayyar's character being shot in the premiere, as the series leans into a world where magic is real and brings back familiar faces from the flagship sitcom.
In the episode, Wheaton appears as a representative of the Wizards Guild of America who confronts Stuart (Kevin Sussman) over Bernadette (Melissa Rauch) regaining her demon powers after being expelled from the guild. Bert (Brian Posehn) shields Stuart from Wheaton's fireball attack, triggering a magical duel that wrecks the comic book shop set and ends with Wheaton's character dying. Wheaton, Posehn and John Ross Bowie spoke to Deadline about filming the elaborate fireball fight sequence, and Wheaton revealed he asked costume designer Valerie Klarich to add an Easter egg referencing his Fawkes character from Felicia Day's series The Guild.
In short
- Stuart Fails To Save the Universe kills off Wil Wheaton's character via magic in episode 3
- It's the second original Big Bang Theory actor's death in three episodes
- Cast discuss filming the fireball duel and a hidden costume Easter egg
Explained simply
Stuart Fails To Save the Universe is a spin-off from The Big Bang Theory, centred on comic-book shop owner Stuart Bloom, played by Kevin Sussman. It brings back characters and actors from the original sitcom, but places them in a fantasy world where magic is real.
Wil Wheaton, Brian Posehn and John Ross Bowie are among the returning performers. Wheaton plays a Wizards Guild representative, while Posehn plays Bert, Stuart’s friend; the guild is an organisation that oversees magic in the story. The series uses familiar faces in new roles and situations, so viewers do not need to know the original sitcom to follow its fantasy plot.