IF IT ISNT RATCHET AND FUCKIN CLANK

Basic plot for those who dont want to watch this show (do not watch this show):

basic setting is a post apocalyptic world

Stuart is visited by an alternate version of himself that tells him to go to Caltech to turn on a device to save the universe from this fate

Stuart Gors There

they fuck it up. End episode one. Also, other characters are there

I will be going by critique of character writing rather than plot because despite Mr. Lorre doing his best(worst), anything related to the big bang theory or anything he writes period will never be more than a character study of the worst human beings on earth and not even in the fun and engaging way like Sunny does it

Stuart

A sopping wet comic store owner who sucks at everything. In the big bang theory he dated Howard’s mom. Here he is in love with a Normal Woman who he used to date. Now I like Stuart, because he is a little worm man, truly the "Shouma Hundred Line" of the Big Bang Theory universe, but they are making him Leonard 2, and I heavily dislike Leonard 1 the original Leonard. I do enjoy reluctant protagonists however.

Denise

Denise is given “agency” and is a “main character.” The reason why “agency” and “main character” are in quotes are because she has/is neither of these things. The way Chuck Lorre sets up writing women is that they will have small moments of agency if it is FUNNY for them to have as such, and then no agency in the long run narratively. This is exemplified perfectly with Denise. She gets to beat up Barry (who in this reality is a dictator, more on that later) but ultimately she is tied to the narrative as a love interest to be won over by Stuart. She cannot even function on her own in the meantime, as in her time separated from Stuart because she believed he was dead she has started dating someone else who dies for comedic effect. She is not taken by the device in the end when Stuart fucks it up, meaning that her “main character” status in this show is also a false badge. She is left behind, she does not get to participate. Hopefully this changes as the show continues but with Mr. Lorre the way he is my hope is but a needle in a haystack of critiques

Bert

Bert is a geologist, Bert likes rocks. Bert is the best character by virtue of being so boring that it is often funny to make him look cool. He makes bombs in this episode. He is the least misogynistic Chuck Lorre can write a man. Bert is a geologist Bert likes rocks and Bert is boring. He is a ray of fresh sunshine for me.

Raj

They are still pulling the same old tricks with him . my favorite character Raj. They give him an unnamed wife who he says dies right after he mentions her. He is a prisoner of war (Barry’s) and he makes some references to India before they shoot him and he dies. I guess if anything Chuck is consistent in both his racism and misogyny times two combo.

Barry

String theorist. Talks funny he has a speech impediment. I like him because he is like if Howard was written correctly. Not WELL…. Or not ENJOYABLY…. Correctly. In the big bang theory proper he is a minor antagonist, a womanizer although not on the same level as Howard simply because he is meant to be a secondary character. Here, he is a MAJOR antagonist as during the apocalypse he hoarded resources and became supreme ruler of California. He even has a dictator outfit. He takes specifically Denise as a prisoner of war, and to set up a “sex with you? I’d rather die” joke he asks this exact question to her and when she refuses he says Okay! We’re gonna shoot you now. Now, later it is clarified that 1. He just meant a date, he’s a lonely guy you know, 2. Denise fully knowing both options still says she’s fine dying, 3. Denise gets to beat the shit out of him after she tricks him into untying her, BUT OBVIOUSLY THIS IS STILL INCREDIBLY FUCKED AND POSSIBLY THE WORST JOKE LORRE HAS WRITTEN ASIDE FROM THE INFAMOUS “PENNY APOLOGIZES TO HOWARD” EPISODE. They try to scooch it back from sex to a date but they’re not thinking about the IMPLICATIONS. Please for the love of god take a page out of IASIP’s book and think about the IMPLICATIONS of asking a woman to go out on a date with your character or killing her. Can we be so fucking for real? What the fuck is wrong with you? And Barry is also teleported by the machine at the end instead of Denise, giving him main character status. The show seems to hold the tune that Bert and Stuart will be toting him around as an antagonist stripped of power, and I hope this is the case and he does not get redeemed because any sort of redemption would entail a woman fixing him like it happened with Howard. (His actor says that he will have a little bit of a redemption but be keeping his antagonistic traits throughout the series, I hope they hold Barry to that for the simple fact that I know what “true redemption” in the eyes of Chuck Lorre entails: the subtracting of agency from a woman) If I wanted to throw a hail mary pass and ask the show for basic human decency, I’d hold out hope for at least an apology to Denise by Barry in some manner, although I know this is not happening. He is by far the most compelling character to me.