One Major The Big Bang Theory Character Is Missing From the Stuart Spinoff

With the flagship series over, The Big Bang Theory franchise has been spending a lot of time in Texas. Young Sheldon takes place there, following the titular genius as he grows up and learns how to navigate a world that doesn’t understand him. Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage picks up the baton from its predecessor by focusing on Sheldon’s older brother, Georgie, and his wife, Mandy, as they raise their child and try to keep their heads above water financially. The next The Big Bang Theory spinoff is also about someone who has money problems, Stuart Bloom, but he’s going to forget all about that when the show kicks off.

Stuart Fails to Save the Universe is all about the titular comic book store owner making a huge mistake after breaking a machine created by his old friends Sheldon and Leonard. He doesn’t have to fix things alone, though, as he has his girlfriend, Denise, Barry Kripke, and Bert Kibbler at his side. However, there’s one The Big Bang Theory character that should be part of the proceedings that is notably absent.

Leslie Winkle Has a Massive Role in The Big Bang Theory‘s Early Seasons

At the start of The Big Bang Theory, a lot of the focus is on the work the guys do at Caltech. Sheldon is a theoretical physicist, which means he creates theories about how the world around him works. Leonard, on the other hand, is an experimental physicist, so he tests the ideas that others come up with and tries to prove them. Since Leonard doesn’t come up with his own ideas, Sheldon views him as a scientific middleman, which Leonard doesn’t appreciate. But Leonard doesn’t do much about it until Leslie Winkle comes around. Another experimental physicist at Caltech, she doesn’t let Sheldon walk all over her and pushes Leonard to do the same.

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Leonard and Leslie date off and on, but they can never get on the same page because they want different things. Leonard wants to be in a serious relationship, while Leslie likes to keep things casual. Their disconnect pushes her into the arms of Howard, who breaks the bro code and dates his friend’s ex. Howard and Leslie don’t last long, and without a partner, Leslie starts to fade into the background in The Big Bang Theory. It’s a shame because she’s a great character with a lot of wit, but Stuart Fails to Save the Universe has a chance to make things right if it gives her a role.

Stuart Fails the Universe Could Use a Character Like Leslie Winkle

The cast of the next The Big Bang Theory spinoff will have their work cut out for them, as they’re going to have to put the multiverse back together. The only one with any hope of understanding the problem is Kripke, who is also a physicist at Caltech. However, he’s not on the same level as Leonard and Sheldon, so he’s not going to be able to turn down help if it presents itself. While The Big Bang Theory never goes too deeply into Leslie’s work, it never makes it out like she’s in over her head. She’s every bit as smart as Leonard and even gives Sheldon a run for his money. With that in her back pocket, Stuart and his friends would be smart to reach out to her.

There’s also little chance that Stuart doesn’t remember Leslie because he’s present for her last appearance on The Big Bang Theory. During the show’s 200th episode, she shows up at Sheldon’s birthday party, which Stuart and Barry also attend. Leslie’s far from the focus of the episode, but she gets one last dig in on Sheldon by making fun of him during the celebration. When she launches her verbal jab, the crowd at the party cheers because Sheldon rarely gets what’s coming to him. All these years later, Stuart and Barry are dealing with a problem Sheldon helped create, so leaving someone who would love nothing more than to prove they’re better than him just wouldn’t make sense.

The Big Bang Theory is streaming on HBO Max.

Would you like to see Leslie Winkle appear in Stuart Fails to Save the Universe? Which other characters should return for the spinoff? Let us know in the comments below!