The Big Bang Theory: What Happens To Kevin Sussman's Stuart?

At this point, any "Big Bang Theory" character worth their NaOH (the chemical formula for salt, for the uninitiated) knows how the show ends — the core gang heads to Sweden so that Sheldon Cooper (Jim Parsons) and his wife Amy Farrah Fowler (Mayim Bialik) can accept their shared Nobel Prize for their work in super asymmetry. But what happens to the friend group's trusty sidekick Stuart Bloom, played by Kevin Sussman?

Stuart is always on the group's immediate periphery, and in the two-part series finale "The Stockholm Syndrome," he stays home from Stockholm for a very important reason. Since Howard Wolowitz (Simon Helberg) and Bernadette Rostenkowski-Wolowitz (Melissa Rauch) are heading abroad, Stuart is staying with their two young children Halley and Michael, but to say it doesn't go particularly well is a bit of an understatement. During a phone call with Stuart, he asks Bernadette some unsettling questions, including wondering how many teeth Halley had when the couple left. Ultimately, Bernadette and Howard decide that maybe Stuart should be relieved of his child-watching duties, and they call in Bernadette's parents ... though after the fact, Leonard Hofstadter (Johnny Galecki) tells his wife Penny (Kaley Cuoco) that Bernadette's tough dad broke some of Stuart's ribs trying to give the comic book store owner a hug. After that, Stuart's never seen on screen again.

Stuart might not seem like the most likely candidate to watch Halley and Michael, but you may have forgotten that he once helped out Howard's mother after she was injured. At the end of Season 7 of "The Big Bang Theory," Stuart's comic book shop catches fire, and he finds himself out of work ... so Howard suggests that he move in with Debbie Wolowitz (voiced by Carol Ann Susi) and earn a living by helping her.

Unfortunately for Howard, Stuart gets a lot closer to Mrs. Wolowitz than her son probably hoped when he suggested the arrangement. Mrs. Wolowitz notoriously hovered over Howard when he lived in her house; with Stuart as a sort of Howard replacement, she can mother somebody once again. When Mrs. Wolowitz dies in Season 8 (because Susi herself died tragically), Stuart stays in the house, and Bernadette and Howard move in as well. Ultimately, he ends up staying and helping them out with Halley and then Michael, so it does make sense that he watches the kids while their parents go to Stockholm. 

A talented artist and comic book enthusiast, Stuart Bloom first pops up during Season 2 of "The Big Bang Theory," with his store giving the core gang a spot to hang out aside from their shared workplace and Leonard and Sheldon's apartment. He also, remarkably, dates both Penny and Amy throughout the series, making both Leonard and Sheldon angry and jealous ... even as Stuart clearly wants to impress the two brilliant scientists throughout his friendship with them, and shows every sign of wanting to be a more legitimate part of the group.

Aside from taking care of Halley and Michael during the finale, Stuart also gets a happy ending in the form of Denise (Lauren Lapkus), who is also a trained artist and avid comic book reader. The two start dating in Season 12 after working at Stuart's store as his assistant manager, though at first, he's too oblivious to even notice that she has a crush on him. They end the show together, though, so Stuart has a happy post-Stockholm future even though he didn't get to go (and Sheldon didn't even bother to thank him in his Nobel acceptance speech).

"The Big Bang Theory" is available to stream on Max now.