SPOILER ALERT: The story includes details about Episode 2 of HBO Max’s Stuart Fails To Save the Universe.

After Denise (Lauren Lapkus) got separated from Stuart (Kevin Sussman), Bert (Brian Posehn) and Kripke (John Ross Bowie) at the end of the first episode of Stuart Fails To Save the Universe as the guys were transported from the post-apocalyptic CalTech lab to an alternate universe, Stuart made it his mission to find Denise — or that alternate reality’s version of her.

He tracked her down to find her “happily” married to Gary (Tommy Walker), the same guy who was Denise’s boyfriend in post-apocalyptic Pasadena in the premiere where he was senselessly killed by CalTech guards.

Happily is in quotes because in that universe, society is ruled by an evil AI through a buzzer on everyone’s neck which sends electric shocks through their body if they express any negative emotion.

“Denise, you and I are destined to be together, and I have come from a parallel universe to claim you,” Stuart said while sitting in Denise and Gary’s living room.

Deadline asked Sussman about Stuart’s gutsy move.

”That’s interesting that you bring that up because that’s pretty un-Stuart like,” he said. “So I guess if there is some growth for Stuart, it’s that his love for her pushes him into a kind of assertiveness that he never would have had on the original show.”

Lupkus spoke about Denise’s unhappy marriage, which had driven her to drinking, and Stuart’s arrival.

“In that universe, we have buzzers on our necks that stop us from ever being rude or saying what like anything that’s not totally happy, so she’s conditioned at that point to just act like everything’s fine, and to have someone coming into her apartment saying like, you don’t have to live like this like, I’m gonna get you out of here, she can’t even react because she knows that she’ll just be writhing on the floor,” Lapkus said. “So I think, as we see later, she gets swept up in it with him, but then her real feelings for him start to return, and she can feel again.”

Added Sussman, ” Yeah, and it actually is a good metaphor for anybody who’s ever felt stuck in a relationship.”

What about Gary? Once again, he was left behind as by the end of the episode, Denise had joined Stuart, Bert and Kripke, and she and Stuart were seen holding hands while leaping into the next universe together.

“I think Denise has some sort of love for Gary, even if he’s the wrong guy for her, because she’s excited to see him every time she sees him, and she’s back with him over and over again,” Lapkus said. “There are those people in your life where you’re like, you got to break up with that guy, but she kind of likes him for some weird reason, and then she cares for him, so when he’s killed over and over, that’s also pretty upsetting.”

Added Sussman, “It’s bad enough when your loved one is murdered once.”

SPOILER ALERT: The story includes details about Episode 2 of HBO Max’s Stuart Fails To Save the Universe.

As Stuart Fails To Save the Universe revealed in the Episode 2 opening credits spoiler (You can read all about the show’s unique, ever-changing main title sequence here), “Zack is in this one.”

Zack, a recurring character on The Big Bang Theory played by Brian Thomas Smith, was Penny’s (Kaley Cuoco) dim-witted but kind-hearted on- and off- boyfriend while she and Leonard (Johnny Galecki) were broken up.

Stuart Fails To Save the Universe, from The Big Bang Theory creators Chuck Lorre & Bill Prady and Zak Penn, has established a pattern with the first two episodes, each featuring a surprise return of a Big Bang Theory original cast member. Following Kunal Nayyar’s appearance as Raj in Episode 1 where he is shockingly killed by Kripke (John Ross Bowie), Cuoco showed up in the second episode alongside Zack (Smith). In it, Penny is a leader of the resistance against an AI-imposed mind control in an alternate universe where everyone is forced to be perpetually nice and happy by shock-inducing buttons on their necks. Zack is her second in command.

Multiverse and all, why did the Stuart Fails To Save the Universe creators opt to have Penny be with Zack as if her relationship with Leonard — one of the hallmarks of The Big Bang Theory from the pilot — never happened?

“Because that’s what happened in that universe, we don’t know what Leonard is doing in that universe,” Prady said. “Every universe gives every character a completely different history. There’s no continuity because they lived a different life, they lived in a different world. That Penny lives in a world where an evil AI controls people through shock collars, and so she had a completely different experience.”

Added Lorre, “There was no Cheesecake Factory in her life,” a reference to Penny’s place of work for most of Big Bang‘s run.

Stuart Fails To Save the Universe presents a very different version of Penny who is pretty ruthless, violently slapping Stuart (Kevin Sussman), Bert (Brian Posehn) and Kripke (John Ross Bowie) to “deprogram” them and ordering them killed with no hesitation once she realizes that they don’t know how to defeat the AI overlord. The trio are ultimately saved by a drone attack launched by the AI, with Penny, Zack and the rest getting incapacitated while Stuart, Bert, Kripke, along with Denise (Lauren Lapkus), use Leonard and Sheldon’s machine to transport themselves to another universe.

With Raj teetering on the edge of madness in Season 1, are Big Bang OGs relishing going dark in the spinoff?

“Beyond,” Prady said.

Added Lorre, “Beyond. It was fun to do something different, that was part of the promise, come and play with us, and we’ll make sure that you’re playing a version of your character you never got to play before, an entirely different approach to the character, and that was fun for the actors.”

Said Penn, “And everyone wants to play the bad guy, that’s always the most fun role.”

Episode 2 also includes appearances from The Big Bang Theory‘s Christine Baranski and Riki Lindhome.

Baranski, who played Leonard’s mom Beverly on the mothership series, is the host of the 30-month re-education program Stuart, Bert are Kripke are forced to attend as a version of herself. (Interestingly, neither Stuart nor Bert or Kripke reacted to her uncanny resemblance to their friend’s mother.)

Lindhome, who did only three but memorable guest appearances on Big Bang as Ramona Nowitzkis, an obsessive CalTech graduate student, plays a version of the same character who is now a receptionist from hell at her alma mater.

SPOILER ALERT: This post contains details on Big Brother Season 28, Episode 12, which aired on Thursday, July 30.

The Big Brother competition is in full swing on CBS, and Julie Chen Moonves returned for the third live eviction of the season.

Kamu Kirk was the Head of Household (HOH) of the week, and a chaotic week soon started.

As HOH, Kamu put up three housemates for eviction: LaTrice Verrett, Lyric Medeiros, and Mallory Aurichio. After the Veto competition, Lyric pulled off a win and used the power on herself to take herself off the block.

With Lyric off the block, Kamu would have to name a replacement nominee and put Jason De Puy up for eviction.

Not all was lost for the three nominees as they still had another shot at safety with the BB Block Buster competition. On live eviction night, the trio would compete, with the winner gaining safety and taking themselves off the block.

RELATED: ‘Big Brother’ Season 28 Debuts To Series’ Best Premiere Audience In 5 Years

Who won safety in the BB Block Buster competition in Week 3?

LaTrice, Mallory, and Jason entered the BB Block Buster competition, and after it, Mallory was victorious and out of danger of eviction.

RELATED: James Gunn Says ‘Big Brother 28’s Rick Devens Was Set For ‘Man Of Tomorrow’ Cameo But “Had To Cancel” Due To CBS Competition

How did the Big Brother Season 28 houseguests vote in Week 3?

Votes to evict LaTrice: No votes

Votes to evict Jason: Haley, Chuk, Dee, Angela, Melody, Mallory, Drew, Barrett, Taylor, Lyric, Yash, Devens

RELATED: CBS’ ‘Big Brother’ Continues To Lock Up Solid Ratings As ‘Unlocked’ Spinoff Scores Big

Who was evicted from Big Brother Season 28 in Week 3?

By a vote of 12 to 0, Jason was the third housemate evicted from Big Brother Season 28 in Week 3.