Stuart Bloom has been apart of The Big Bang Theory since season two as the owner of the comic book store Sheldon, Leonard, Raj, and Howard frequent. Over the years, Stuart's character became more important to the script and he was given a more permanent role in the series. His self-deprecating humor made him a standout on the show but it was his lack of funds that made him so relatable. Up until the 11th season, Stuart was constantly strapped for cash and often slept in his comic book store. But after Neil Gaiman visits Stuart's store, it blossoms with success. This led to him hiring a new assistant manager, Denise.
Denise is gorgeous and educated in the comic book universe, making her a perfect fit for Stuart and the store. It wasn't until Sheldon and Amy's wedding where things between the two really started to heat up and gave us some of Denise's best lines.
"How Would You Feel About An Alternate History Where WW1 Was Fought With Dragons And Magic?"
Ah, where it all started. Denise made her Big Bang debut in "The Comet Polarization." Stuart hires her because for once in his store's life, there were lines at the cash register. Once Sheldon sees Denise—and not Stuart—he's annoyed that there's a new person he has to talk to. And what if she's not comic book educated? He decides to ask her what he should read next and based on his ensemble, Denise's first option is exactly what Sheldon has been looking for since he was a kid. Without this spot-on suggestion, it would have been a long road for Denise and Sheldon.
"Oh Perfect! I Don't Think Of You As A Man"
Stuart isn't suave with the ladies (well, none of them were in the beginning) and he certainly wasn't suave with Denise, but it was his honesty that won her over. In an attempt to ask Denise to be his date at Sheldon and Amy's wedding, Stuart started it off with "Hey dude, I just wanted to let you know I don't think of you as a woman."
This revelation startled Denise and she replied with "Oh Perfect! I don't think of you as a man!" Stuart backtracked of course but had it not been for Howard's interruption about Mark Hammil coming to the wedding, who knows if Stuart's pick-up attempt would have worked.
"Look At My Skin, I Haven't Been Outside In Six Years"
While Bernadette is talking to Denise in "The Citation Negation," Bernadette learns that Denise is also good at Fortnite and that she could teach her. Due to the paleness of Denise's skin, she makes a remark about not being outside in six years because she's too busy gaming. This leads to the two women bonding over something they both enjoy instead of Bernadette pretending to be interested in comics for Denise's sake.
"Hey, Maybe We Can Go And Find Nemo Together"
In "The Wedding Gift Wormhole," Stuart is getting ready for his first date with Denise. The date had to go well because the two worked together and things could get awkward between the two if it didn't. Stuart was anxious for the big day so he went out and got his hair dyed a little darker...
However, his new dark hair made his skin look extra pale so he got a spray tan. And as you can imagine, he turned bright orange. The tan wouldn't come off so he sucked it up and showed up at her door anyway. Denise was a great sport about it and made this Finding Nemo reference before heading out on their date together.
"...You Are So Hot"
In what could be the only time Stuart has ever heard this in his life, Denise called him hot after schooling Mark Hammi in Star Wars trivia at Sheldon and Amy's wedding. Stuart looked so proud (and shocked and terrified) by Denise's reaction.
Fans weren't sure what to make of Denise and Stuart in the beginning because well, he's Stuart! But clearly he's hot enough to win over a gal like Denise!
"Is He Okay?" (Bernadette) "Not Since I've Known Him" (Denise)
In "The Citation Negation," Bernadette is trying to be better at Fortnite so she can beat Howard. She heads down to the comic book store to ask Stuart to teach her but Denise informed her that he was at a doctor's appointment. When Bernadette asks if he was okay, Denise says "Not since I've known him," creating a good chuckle from the audience. After this sassy line, it was clear Denise would fit in perfectly with this group.
"Hey, Do You Want To Play The Game Or Do You Wanna Crawl Back Up Your Mommy's Shirt And Chow Down Like A Baby?"
Denise decides to teach Bernadette how to play Fortnite, which is our first viewing of Denise hanging out with part of the group outside of work (without Stuart). If The Big Bang Theory continued after season 12, maybe Denise would have joined Penny, Bernadette, and Amy's girl nights. Nevertheless, the girls seem to be hitting it off gaming together even though Bernadette is any good at Fortnite. While Bernadette was playing—and failing—Denise ripped her a new one and called her a baby for how she was performing. But if there's anyone tough enough for that kind of talk, it's Bernadette.
"Ah, Sad Man!"
In the 12th season, the whole gang decides to go paintballing. This kind of outing was a first for the group because we saw two new faces: Denise and Anu. Unbeknownst to the group, this outing was going to be telling on how everyone got along (paintball is about teamwork, after all). Sadly, the day ended with more wounds than smiles.
Denise and Stuart got in a fight, Raj and Anu practically broke up, and Sheldon was being sassy to Amy for an interview she did. However, we did see Denise's competitive side come out (which is very similar to Bernadette's) when she shot Raj during his moment of weakness and shouted "Ah, sad man!" before running away!
"Oh, Is He? Is He Being Crazy Or Is He The Only One Around Here Who's Making Any Sense?"
In "The Meteorite Manifestation," Leonard and Raj are discussing their intentions with a meteor Bert had at work. Cutting open a meteorite could lead to all sorts of things for science but in Denise and Stuart's mind, cutting open a meteor could be detrimental in the world of comic books. Raj and Leonard called Stuart "crazy" for assuming cutting open a meteor could lead to supernatural powers but Denise comes to his defense with this hilarious line.
"Well That's Great Because I Want To Move In With You More Than The Thing Wants To Clobber"
After going back and forth about whether to live with each other or not, Stuart's finally ready to settle down in "The Maternal Conclusion." It wasn't like Stuart didn't want to move in with Denise, he was just scared. But after a few too many annoying nights sleeping in the comic book store, he told her how much he wanted to live with her. Denise replied with a The Thing reference that was very sweet (and very them).