Am I The Only Stuart Fails To Save The Universe Fan Weirded Out By This Detail?

Spoilers below for anyone who hasn't yet caught up on Stuart Fails to Save the Universe through Episode 5 via HBO Max subscription.

By and large, I'm aligned with audiences who prefer Stuart Fails to Save the Universe to The Big Bang Theory, largely because of its bonkers storyline and notable uptick in NSFW jokes. I'm digging the cameos, I'm digging the different dimensions the characters get dropped into, and I'm digging the way Bert seems to keep getting dealt a winning hand in these other-worlds. However, one major character arc hasn't been sitting right with me, and I really hope there's a sensible and believable explanation for it.

I Don't Like That Stuart Has Been With Several Versions Of Denise So Far

I take no issue with the general idea of a lovelorn Stuart struggling to reconnect with his prime-world love, and I think it's a fun concept for a setting-swapping series like this. But I feel like I must have missed a scene at some point where Stuart directly explains why he's perfectly fine latching onto any version of Denise that he comes across, and why that doesn't bother him at all. Did such a scene actually take place? I didn't think so.

As such, I don't quite understand what's happening in Stuart's head, and why he thinks it makes emotional and logical sense to bond with every Denise regardless of what kind of life they were living before he, Bert and Kripke burst into that particular universe. I guess he's working from the perspective of "any port in a storm," but that's kinda gross, even without sex involved.

Had Lauren Lapkus' Denise from Episode 1 bounced out of that universe with the other three and stuck with them, I probably wouldn't have as much of a problem, since it would present a semblance of stasis. But that one stayed behind, leading Stuart to then divulge his transdimensional travels to the boozing Denise from the AI universe. I'm mostly assuming she's the same Denise that leaves the shattered island paradise with the guys at the end of Ep. 5, but I'm not necessarily convinced that she'll be the one that sticks around until the end. Which is more than a little ew in certain respects.

I Hope Denise 3.0 Addresses This Awkward Situation Soon

The themes in the spotlight during Episode 5 seemed to help put my concerns at the forefront of the mind, given the concepts of sharing, possession, monogamy, and (to a lesser extent) consent. Everyone in this remote area is so used to communal sharing that Bert and Kripke cause immediate chaos with their "individual-first" behavior and teachings. And it stands to reason that Stuart's group is having a net-negative impact in every universe they travel to, and I think all the various Denises are part of that.

To be sure, I don't feel like Lapkus' performance makes Denise come across as victimized or troubled, or else it would be a far more awkward show to watch. But I do hope that the character (or any character, really) takes a minute to sit Stuart down and question what his long-term intentions are with Denise 3.0, and what will happen if they make it back to the OG universe where OG Denise is.

I'm desperately wondering that myself at this point. Is the idea that, if and when Stuart actually sets everything straight with Leonard and Sheldon's device, everyone will return to their rightful universes without any overarching issues to worry about? Or like, is there a situation where both OG Denise and Denise 3.0 could co-exist in the Big Bang Theory-verse? Are we dealing with Timecop rules here where one of them explodes if they touch?

Only half of Stuart Fails to Save the Universe's first season is left, so the clock is ticking in regards to Denise's story getting sorted out comfortably. Find new episodes hitting HBO Max every Thursday night at 9:00 p.m. ET.