Top 20 Times Bluey Tackled Serious Issues

“The Pool”
With his infectious enthusiasm and sense of fun, “Bluey” dad Bandit is often held up as an aspirational father figure. However, when it comes to organizational skills, mom Chilli definitely has the upper hand. Being the ‘fun’ parent is all well and good, but in ‘The Pool’, we’re reminded that spontaneity isn’t always the best policy. Chilli, like many moms, is the hero of the packed bag. When Bandit and the girls disregard her forward planning, their outing falls apart. Soon, they learn the importance of the ‘boring stuff’, and gain a deeper appreciation for everything Chilli does for them.

“Duck Cake”
Sometimes in life, we have to persevere with tasks we find difficult or dull. “Duck Cake” does a great job of showing that, and explaining why it’s worth it. Bandit is trying to get Bluey to tidy up after herself. At the same time, he’s attempting to make the notoriously tricky “Duck Cake” for Bingo’s birthday. At the height of his frustration, Bluey realizes that her chipping in will help her dad feel better, relieving some of his stress. By the same token, she discovers that helping others makes her feel good. For the parents watching, this episode also shows that it’s sometimes okay to be vulnerable in front of your kids. Letting them look after you for a change might teach them something positive!

“Dance Mode”
As a kid, getting your voice heard can be hard work - especially if you’re the youngest in your family. It’s easy for the littlest to be pressured, ignored, or overruled, even if it’s unintentional. In “Dance Mode”, Bingo is encouraged to listen to her “inside voice” and express how she really feels. Meanwhile, the family learns to pay attention to her cues, and not take her consent for granted. We can certainly empathize with the parents (and Bluey) in this scenario. But what Bingo experiences touches on a universal experience. It’s easy to go along with popular opinion to make people happy. However, we have to learn to stand up for ourselves, while remembering to be sensitive to the needs and wants of others.

“Handstand”
Feeling ignored or left out can be a common experience for young children. At the other end of the age spectrum, elderly people may share similar feelings of being sidelined or isolated. In “Handstand,” Nana and Bingo find themselves a bit lost amid the chaos and excitement of the latter’s birthday party. Bingo just wants someone to watch her new trick. Meanwhile, Nana - who likes to be busy - is feeling like a spare part. It turns out that they’re each exactly what the other needs. Nana gives Bingo the attention she craves, while Bingo makes her grandmother feel needed again.

“Perfect”
“Bluey” is largely about the kids, but each tidbit of background detail helps to round out the adult characters and make them more relatable. In “Perfect”, we catch a snippet of conversation, which infers that Bandit is considering a vasectomy. In the following episode, the Heelers clean the old nursery out and take down the crib, indicating that the decision has been made. In just two short scenes, “Bluey” subtly tells the story of a couple making a final call on whether or not to have more children. It’s perhaps a bit odd to see cartoon dogs in such grown-up scenarios. But it also reflects real life, while giving us a poignant moment where Chilli mourns the end of an era.

“Dad Baby”
As of May 2023, the “Bluey” episode “Dad Baby” is still not available on Disney +. Presumably, pregnancy — or labor — has been deemed a taboo topic for the show’s audience, although we don’t know the official reasoning here. The episode sees Bandit playing the part of a pregnant person. (Chilli is initially on hand with a rolled up newspaper for when he takes the joke too far.) It’s all in good fun, but this pregnant man isn’t laughing for long. “Dad Baby” discusses cravings, kicks, back pain, and more. It even features a hilarious birth scene. It’s a far cry from stories about the stork, providing a refreshing and honest look at pregnancy, and the miracle of life.

“Grandad”
As we get older, the parent-child dynamic shifts, with an adult kid often taking on a caring role for an elderly mother or father. However, this doesn’t mean we stop needing our parents as much as we ever did. The “Bluey” episode “Grandad” shines a light on the relationship between Chilli and her dad, Mort. He initially doesn’t want to be fussed over, but she worries that he isn’t taking care of himself. It’s a touching exploration of the bond between grown-up children and their parents, aimed squarely at the adults in the audience. That moving final scene catches us off guard every time.

“Space”
There are plenty of “Bluey” moments that are open to interpretation, and “Space” is one of the show’s most debated episodes. The plot focuses around minor characters Mackenzie, Jack and Rusty, who are playing at being astronauts. Mackenzie, the designated chief scientist, keeps disappearing for quiet time. His friends are confused, but the audience learns, through a flashback, that Mackenzie is processing a memory from his past. His mother once abandoned him in a playground – or so he initially thought at the time. This feeling of being left behind seems to keep manifesting itself in the imaginary game. It’s all surprisingly emotional. Although nothing is spelled out, the episode will likely resonate with those still making sense of past traumas and overcoming issues of abandonment.

“Camping”
In this bittersweet episode, “Bluey” captures both the magic and the melancholy of a short-lived holiday friendship. Jean-Luc is a French-speaking fellow camper who Bluey befriends despite the language barrier. The show builds a bond between the two characters and we feel Jean-Luc’s regret as — unbeknownst to Bluey — they say their final goodbye. Bluey’s sadness when she discovers that her friend has left with his family is heartbreaking. But then, Chilli passes on some words of wisdom, and both Bluey and the audience are left with a comforting message. Time with friends and loved ones can be brief and goodbyes are hard - but the good times make it all worth it. Plus, you may just find each other again, like Bluey and Jean-Luc do!

“The Show”
There’s a moment in the season two episode “The Show” which appears to allude to the subject of miscarriage. Bluey and Bingo are acting out a play of their parents’ lives together. At one point, Bingo has a balloon up her shirt, mimicking her mom’s first pregnancy. But then, the balloon pops. We cut to the parents, suddenly serious, just as Bandit grabs hold of his wife’s hand as if to steady her. It’s a moment that could easily be missed, and nothing more is said. However, it’s prompted many to speculate that the Heelers may have lost a baby before Bluey. The subtle scene can be interpreted as a moving acknowledgement of the miscarriage experience, which is a difficult reality many couples face.

“Circus”
This episode was aired during election season in Queensland and explores what makes a good leader. It’s voting day in the world of “Bluey” and mom and dad explain to the girls that you should pick a leader, based on who you think would make a good boss. But how do you know? Bluey is left to find this out for herself, through imaginative play, as she takes on the role of ringmaster in a game of circus. She’s firm but fair, listening to the other kids and taking on their ideas. She also smoothly manages a threat to her authority with compromise and kindness by including Hercules in the game and letting him play to his strengths. Basically, it’s all about democracy.

“Bin Night”
Sending your child off into the world is a scary prospect for any parent - what if the other kids are mean to them? In “Bin Night,” we get to experience that anxiety secondhand, as Bandit and Chilli discover that Bingo is having some trouble with a new boy, Banjo, in kindergarten. When he calls her a ‘bobo head,’ Chilli encourages her to tell a teacher if he doesn’t stop. It’s all going well until the insults get a little bit meaner and another kid joins in. It’s heartbreaking, but the Heelers resist the urge to tell Bingo to fight fire with fire, and keep on with the gentle advice and support instead. They’re rewarded when she overcomes her troubles and even makes a new friend.

“Turtleboy”
The plot of “Turtleboy” focuses on Bingo and Bandit, who come across a toy in the park and get into a bit of a moral dilemma over whether or not they can take it home. However, the episode is notable for its depiction of deafness and characters who speak using Australian sign language, known as Auslan. Just like Bingo and her dad, Dougie and his mom come to the park and play with ‘turtleboy.’ Their conversation is almost identical to Bandit and Bingo’s, it’s just conducted in Auslan. The episode was praised for its positive representation and accurate depiction of the signs, which were faithfully animated with the help of expert consultants.

“Sleepytime”
One of the series’ most emotional and beautifully animated installments, “Sleepytime” takes place during a single night in the Heeler household. And it depicts a scenario that will be familiar to most parents. Although Bingo is determined to have a ‘big girl sleep’ in her own bed, she unknowingly goes on a nighttime wander. Set to Holst’s “Jupiter”, the episode bounces between real life and Bingo’s dreamscape, which betrays her separation anxiety. In the dream, she gains reassurance from the sun, which speaks with her mother’s voice. When morning strikes, you might just find yourself welling up at the sight of Bingo in her own bed.

“Baby Race”
Although it’s technically aimed at kids, there are a few cases where “Bluey” speaks more directly to the parents. “Baby Race” is a flashback episode centering on Chilli, who shares a story with the girls to demonstrate the importance of running ‘your own race.’ As a new parent, she gets caught up in the competitive spirit of a moms’ group. She begins to feel like a failure when Bluey isn’t progressing as quickly as the other babies. But then Coco’s mom comes to visit and offers some much needed reassurance. It’s a genuinely touching moment and a deftly delivered message of support for all the new mothers watching at home. And when Bluey takes her first steps, you’ll be hard-pressed not to shed a tear.

“Army”
Neurodiverse kids don’t often see themselves represented on screen, but “Bluey” designates an episode to Jack, an excitable terrier with implied ADHD. Jack finds it difficult to do what he’s told, sit still or remember things - or so he believes, which breaks our hearts a little. However, when he starts at his new school he’s quickly befriended by Rusty, an army-obsessed Red Kelpie who adopts him as a recruit. Jack discovers that he can do more than is usually expected of him and we learn that Rusty’s father is in the army, which explains his preoccupation. It’s lovely to see Jack thrive and the return of Rusty’s dad is the cherry on top.

“Flat Pack”
There’s a lot to unpack and put together in this episode, in which the Heeler parents attempt to assemble a flat pack swing set while the kids play with the packaging. In the space of seven minutes, we get an allegory of the theory of evolution, as well as a representation of the human life cycle. It’s all gorgeously animated and set to a beautiful piece of music. We also get some relatable bickering as mom and dad get frustrated with the flat pack, which is foreshadowed by an enjoyably meta line from Bandit. It’s all very clever and even a little bit moving.

“Onesies”
Some topics are difficult to broach with children, and even with the adults around us. But in season three of “Bluey” the writers touch on the subject of involuntary childless-ness honestly, and in a way that children can understand. Rose Byrne guest stars as Brandy, Chilli’s sister who hasn’t visited the family for four years. It’s implied that Brandi found it too painful to be around Bluey and Bingo, as she can’t have kids of her own. It’s a bittersweet little installment. But the relationship between the sisters is tenderly drawn and the episode garnered praise for drawing attention to the sensitive subject without trivializing it.

“Early Baby”
Children often work through their feelings and make sense of things through play. In “Early Baby” Bluey’s friend Indy incorporates her own experiences (with her baby sister) [to remove if possible] into a game of doctors. She teaches the other kids at school - and young viewers at home - about premature babies. Bluey is acting as the doctor. When it’s Indy’s turn in the make-believe birthing bed, she explains that her baby is coming early. So she’ll need to stay in the hospital for a few days in an incubator (or as she puts it, a fish tank with holes in it.) The episode is gently humorous and doesn’t get too heavy, but explains the concept sensitively in a way that children can easily grasp.

Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.

Tech Can Be a Mystery to Older People, But They Can Still Learn

The Girls Grill Their Babysitters About Love

Leaving Your Childhood Behind Can Be Scary

Bingo Learns to Make Her Own Fun When She’s Feeling Left Out

Bluey & Bingo Want Their Dad to Stay Home & Play When He Has to Work

“Copycat”
When is the right time to teach a child about death? Whenever you do it, this “Bluey” episode could be a good place to start. Bluey and her dad spot an injured parakeet on the road near their house. They jump in the car and speed off to the vet, but it’s ultimately too late to save the bird. Bluey is upset and wishes the creature hadn’t died. She wonders if there’s any chance it might come back. But that’s not possible, and Bandit is straight with her about the reality of the situation. Like Indy with the premature baby, Bluey works through the day’s events by recreating them in a game, which helps her accept what happened.