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Stuart may fail to save the universe, but the Big Bang Theory spinoff succeeds in bringing back (and reinventing) several of the hit sitcom’s fan-favorite characters.

Stuart Fails to Save the Universe continues the TBBT timeline (or timelines?) by following the sci-fi adventures of Stuart, whose comic book store was often frequented by Sheldon (Jim Parsons) and Leonard (Johnny Galecki). And it’s actually the actions of Sheldon and Leonard that serve as the catalyst for this new series: a device they built brings upon a multiversal Armageddon.

Introduced in season 2 of TBBT, Kevin Sussman’s Stuart Bloom was a series regular for the show’s five final seasons. In the spinoff, he’s joined by a trio of recurring figures from the flagship series: Brian Posehn’s geologist and loyal comic customer Bert Kibbler; Lauren Lapkus’ Denise, Stuart’s ex-girlfriend and former assistant manager; and John Ross Bowie’s quantum physicist Barry Kripke, a rival of Sheldon’s.

Stuart Fails is the fourth entry in the Big Bang-verse, but its first sequel. Ahead of the premiere, HBO Max teased that the dimension-spanning comedy would feature “alternate-universe versions” of TBBT’s characters. So far, the show has overdelivered on that promise.

Here’s a full running list of the Big Bang Theory cameos in Stuart Fails to Save the Universe. We’ll be updating it on a weekly basis, so be sure to check back in as the 10-episode season rolls on.

Episode 1 — “Spoiler: Bert Dies”

Kevin Sussman as Stuart Bloom

The only thing better than one Stuart is two Stuarts. The opening of Stuart Fails finds Stuart still running the Comic Center of Pasadena, despite the world outside looking like something out of a disaster movie. A Stuart from another reality then shows up and reveals that our Stuart was there when Leonard and Sheldon’s quantum entanglement device altered everything — and that only he can set things right.

Brian Posehn as Bert Kibbler

Joining Stuart on his mission is Bert, a former professor and colleague of the Big Bang gang at Caltech. The dire circumstances don’t seem to bother Bert, who first appears when he walks into Stuart’s store and offers to trade canned goods and cat food for a Batman comic.

Lauren Lapkus as Denise

Along the way, Stuart and Bert are reunited with Stuart’s ex, Denise, who he thought was dead. What has she been up to? “Robbing, mostly,” she says. “Still working on my screenplay.” She also has a new boyfriend, Gary (Tommy Walker), but he quickly dies — as the title sequence promised he would — and Denise joins Stuart and Bert on their journey.

John Ross Bowie as Barry Kripke

Once the world fell apart, Pasadena and Caltech were taken over by an all-powerful villain known as “The Evil One.” Late in episode 1, the Supreme Ruler is revealed to Barry Kripke, a Caltech physicist who talks like Elmer Fudd and often antagonized TBBT’s heroes. After seizing authority and “all the girls,” Barry isn’t a fan of Stuart’s attempt to put things back to how they were, but he inadvertently gets sucked into the reality-leaping.

Teller as Teller

As Stuart and Bert set out to find the device and save the universe, they briefly come across a post-apocalyptic magic show being conducted by the legendary duo Penn & Teller. The famously silent Teller previously appeared on TBBT as Larry Fowler, the trick-loving father of Amy (Mayim Bialik). Teller has now played three different characters across three different TBBT shows, having also appeared on the prequel Young Sheldon as the dermatological entity Pus.

Kunal Nayyar as Raj Koothrappali

The big shocker of episode 1 was the appearance of Kunal Nayyar’s Raj. Whereas the other Big Bang alums in the new series were supporting and recurring players on the original, Nayyar was one of its main stars. The particle astrophysicist was a TBBT favorite, but things aren’t going well for him here. Raj has been kept prisoner by Barry, spending his time trying to figure out what went wrong with Leonard and Sheldon’s device while growing an exceptionally long beard. With the help of Stuart’s crew, Raj reaches the device and believes he’s repaired it — only to be shot by Barry, seemingly dying… at least in this reality.

New episodes of Stuart Fails to Save the Universe premiere Thursdays on HBO Max.