Although The Big Bang Theory’s ending rolled around, the show’s priorities had shifted significantly since its pilot episode. When the show began, Sheldon was Leonard’s scene-stealing quirky roommate and Leonard’s romantic pursuit of Penny was The Big Bang Theory’s primary focus.

By the time the show wrapped up, the fact that Young Sheldon had become The Big Bang Theory’s first spinoff was telling in and of itself. Sheldon gradually became the show’s main focus, as reflected by his main role in the series finale. Young Sheldon’s ending even made the odds of seeing the Pasadena gang’s kids less likely, since the spinoff brought back Sheldon and Amy but none of the rest of the main characters. This shifting focus came at a cost to the rest of the show’s ing cast , as evidenced by one recent interview.

Sara Gilbert Says The Big Bang Theory Gave Up on Leslie (But She’s Open to Returning)

Stuart Fails to Save the Universe Could Redeem The Big Bang Theory’s Shortcomings

Interviewed by Entertainment Weekly’s "The Big Bang Theory Podcast," The Conners star Sara Gilbert recently noted the writers “Hit a wall” with her character Leslie Winkle and didn’t know what to do with her. Gilbert attributed Leslie’s limited role to the character’s fear of commitment and standoffish nature, saying “She leaves these dynamics quickly, you know, then kind of like, well, what do you do now?… There’s no more story there, really.” While this is partially accurate, the comments also sidestep the bigger issue with Leslie’s character arc.

With The Big Bang Theory’s spinoff Stuart Fails to Save the Universe on the way, there is now a rare opportunity to bring Leslie back and finally give her the spotlight she deserves.

As The Big Bang Theory’s focus shifted to Sheldon, the show solidified Penny and Leonard’s romance. This gave Leslie no role to play, as she was an early love interest for Leonard and a professional rival for Sheldon. With The Big Bang Theory’s spinoff Stuart Fails to Save the Universe on the way, there is now a rare opportunity to bring Leslie back and finally give her the spotlight she deserves. Gilbert expressed interest in returning, and the spinoff’s focus on underused characters makes the comeback perfect.

The Stuart Spinoff Is the Right Place to Finally Do Leslie Winkle Justice

Separating Leslie From Sheldon and Leonard Improves Her Role

Leslie was previously defined primarily by her links to Sheldon and Leonard, rather than her own personality. Her sardonic attitude was a welcome addition to the show’s lineup, but The Big Bang Theory never knew what to do with her unless she was romancing Leonard or antagonizing Sheldon. As such, Stuart Fails to Save the Universe could be a good opportunity for the franchise to make up for this shortcoming.

Stuart Fails to Save the Universe could give Leslie Winkle a story of her own, focusing on Gilbert’s snarky ing star instead of her relationships with other characters. Gilbert’s disappointing role as The Conners season 7’s Darlene proves she is overdue for a sitcom that gives her character room to grow and change instead of stagnating, and Leslie could be that character. This would also make up for the character’s unfortunate final appearance in the original series, which made her seem more disposable than ever.

Leslie Winkle’s The Big Bang Theory Sendoff Was A Letdown

Gilbert Last Appeared in Season 9 Episode 17 “The Celebration Experimentation”

Leslie’s last appearance came in season 9, episode 17, “The Celebration Experimentation,” where she was a guest at Sheldon’s party. Even that description is pretty telling, and it will hardly surprise readers to learn that Leslie doesn’t make much of an impact in this muted final role. Her cameo was more of an exercise in box-ticking as the series reached its conclusion than a sincere attempt to explore her character, but The Big Bang Theory’s spinoff could change this.

Leslie can finally get a character arc of her own in Stuart Fails to Save the Universe and, in the process, the sitcom franchise can make up for wasting her character in the original show. Since The Big Bang Theory had no role for her that wasn’t defined by Leonard and Sheldon, Stuart Fails to Save the Universe can now provide precisely this for the underrated character.

Source: Entertainment Weekly

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