The premiere of HBO Max’s The Big Bang Theory spin-off Stuart Fails To Save the Universe kills off Raj, played by Kunal Nayyar, in a major early twist. The death is intended to shock viewers and establish the stakes of the multiverse story, though the creators stress that Raj is only dead in one universe and could return elsewhere.

Set in post-apocalyptic Pasadena, the episode follows Stuart as he tries to repair a quantum device after accidentally causing a multiverse disaster. He teams up with Bert, Denise and Raj, but Barry Kripke—now the self-styled Great Khalif of South Pasadena—shoots Raj as he is about to fix the machine; creators Chuck Lorre, Bill Prady and Zak Penn said the multiverse premise allows legacy characters to reappear.