This article contains brief mentions of miscarriage.

The target audience for the animated series Bluey is young children, however, adults are just as impacted by the series’ heartfelt messages and are sure to shed a handful of tears while watching the series with their little ones. Since its premiere in 2018, Bluey has been consistently praised by critics and audiences for the way it handles topics revolving around family life and parenting. Though it’s a children’s show, the characters in Bluey are well-written and given a wide range of depth and emotions.

Bluey follows the Heeler family, made up of parents Bandit and Chilli, and sisters: the titular older sibling and her younger sister Bingo. Throughout Bluey‘s three seasons, other family members and friends are introduced. Bluey has humor and heart in its storylines, making for an overall lovable series. Moments throughout Bluey will hit home with its younger audiences, but parents will also better understand the deeper meaning behind some of the series’ more emotional moments, proving that Bluey is just as much for adults as it is for children.

10

“Handstand”

Season 2, Episode 45

As a parent, life can be hectic at times. During moments of chaos, it’s not always easy to dedicate a few minutes to watching a child’s luckless attempt at a handstand. The attention from her family is all Bingo wants, but everyone is busy setting up a party. At no fault of their own, parents are likely to see themselves reflected in the Heeler family members as they ignore Bingo’s request for their attention.

Seeing Bingo try numerous times to get someone to watch her accomplish a great task is bittersweet. “Handstand” is made especially heartfelt when the person who finally watches Bingo is her Nana. During the whole party, Nana is too seeking interaction with others. She repeatedly asks to provide a helping hand, but gets turned down — that is until her granddaughter lets her know she could use her undivided attention.

9

“The Show”

Season 2, Episode 19

On Mother’s Day, Bluey and Bingo put together a show in which they act out their mother’s life story. The siblings’ show is a sweet act of love, and though she’s trying her best, Bingo feels she’s ruining her mother’s special day by causing a mess. During a scene where Bingo has a balloon under her shirt to emulate Chilli’s pregnancy with Bluey, the balloon accidentally pops. Though Bingo is distressed over the incident, her sister reassures her that everything is okay. It’s an endearing moment between young siblings that warrants a few tears.

Furthermore, when the balloon pops, Bandit places his hand over Chilli’s in an act of comfort. Bluey fan theories suggest the scene is representative of a miscarriage experienced by Chilli. Indeed, in 2023, Bluey’s creator Joe Brumm confirmed the moment between the Heeler parents is meant to suggest a devastating moment in Chilli’s life (via BBC). Though the moment is brief, any parents with a similar experience understand the impact of such a scene, and tears are undoubtedly shed.

8

“Sleepytime”

Season 2, Episode 26

As a child, sleeping on your own is a big deal. For some, it takes a lot of courage to move from the comfort of a parent’s bedroom. In “Sleepytime,” Bingo tells Chilli she’s ready to sleep in her room for the night. What happens next is a visual and audible delight. In her dreams, Bingo is traveling through space, but in reality, she’s moving from room to room in the house in search of a comfortable place to rest.

Images of Bingo’s dreams in which she’s traveling through space are accompanied by an emotional score. The music in the Bluey episode swells into a final orchestral piece as Bingo comes face-to-face with the sun. The warm presence hovers over Bingo as her mother happens to be cuddling her while she sleeps. Chilli’s words are what every parent wishes for their kids to know as they find independence, saying, “Remember, I’ll always be here for you, even if you can’t see me, because I love you.”

7

“Camping”

Season 1, Episode 43

As children, schools, summer camps, and vacation destinations are a few places one is likely to make friends. These friendships, while full of fun-filled days and adventures, don’t always last. It can be difficult for parents to explain to their children that it’s not always guaranteed their friends will be back the following year.

This is the predicament Chilli and Bluey find themselves in. Throughout “Camping,” Bluey plays with Jean-Luc, a fellow camper. Though the two do not speak the same language, they quickly become friends and spend a few days together. Sadly, Jean-Luc leaves with his family and can’t get Bluey to understand he’s saying goodbye. It’s complicated to explain that not all friendships are meant to last, but Chilli easily handles the situation. Chilli subdues some of Bluey’s sadness by encouraging her to think of the fun memories made while Jean-Luc was around.

6

“Flat Pack”

Season 2, Episode 24

A majority of the short runtime of “Flat Pack” is dedicated to the various make-believe adventures of Bluey and Bingo. As their parents are building furniture, the siblings play among the cardboard boxes and packaging acting like different animals. As they are playing, Chilli and Bandit have a sweet moment looking into their yard and seeing their children running around.

Bluey, having played pretend as Bingo’s mother, sends her off on her own imaginary adventure. The moment Bluey slumps down and questions what to do next, tears are guaranteed to form in parent’s eyes. It appears Bluey is growing up and without her younger sibling to play with, there’s no reason to continue playing pretend. Although, the tears begin to flow when Bluey joins her parents on a porch swing. The image of the three looking over Bingo as she continues to play has been pointed out as symbolism for the afterlife and how parents continue to look over their kids beyond their death.

5

“Baby Race”

Season 2, Episode 50

Milestones in children’s development such as walking and talking come with a mix of emotions, as explored in the episode of Bluey titled “Baby Race.” Chilli recalls Bluey’s journey to walking for the first time and how determined she became to have her child be the first to walk from the group of kids in the mommy and me class. However, Bluey took a humorous path to walking, which included rolling over and scooting around before taking her first steps.

This led Chilli to feel like a failure as a mother — an unfortunate feeling many parents are familiar with as they get caught up in a certain time frame for their children’s milestones. Chilli admitting to feeling like a failure is devastating enough, but the tears truly begin to flow when another mom from class notices Chilli’s feelings of defeat and reassures her that she’s doing everything right as a mom.

4

“Granddad”

Season 2, Episode 27

“Granddad” is less about Bluey and Bingo’s relationship with their granddad and more about the child within Chilli. The three make a trip to see Chilli’s dad, Mort, who’s recovering from surgery and, to her disappointment, is not letting his body rest as she feels he should be. Anyone with a close relationship with their older relatives will have a hard time not shedding any tears during the episode’s final moments.

Time flies and as people get older, the dependency on older relatives doesn’t go away — it’s the exact situation Chilli finds herself in. As Chilli chases Mort, Bingo, and Bluey around, she confesses the reason why she’s adamant about her father’s resting is because she still needs him. The episode of Bluey ends with Chilli resting her head on her father’s shoulders as it fades to an image of a younger Chilli sitting in the same position.

3

“Space”

Season 3, Episode 34

Three of Bluey’s classmates, Jack, Rusty, and Mackenzie play pretend as they are aboard an imaginary spaceship. All is well, and the three let their imaginations run wild, but Mackenzie keeps getting lost and separating from the other two friends. Just as Jack and Rusty are, audiences are confused as to why Mackenzie is being distant.

It isn’t until Mackenzie transports through a “black hole” that a memory from when he was younger plays. When he was a child, Mackenzie thought he had lost his mother. It was a situation that had a lasting impact as he got older. “Space” provides a scenario in which parents can learn useful, kid-friendly ways to discuss trauma with their young children. A helpful message comes from Calypso, Mackenzie’s teacher, who reminds him he’s okay now and there’s no need to keep returning to the upsetting memory.

2

“Copycat”

Season 1, Episode 38

In “Copycat”, the day starts with Bluey copying her father Bandit’s every word and movement. It’s a behavior that is all too familiar to parents with young children and the scenes between the two make for an endearing portrayal of their father-daughter relationship. However, the episode takes a sorrowful turn when Bluey and Bandit come across an injured bird.

The two bring the bird to the veterinarian, but the results aren’t what Bluey was anticipating. What follows is Bluey’s childlike process of death that is sure to bring a few tears to parents’ eyes. The topic of death is never an easy subject to discuss with young children, so it’s wonderful to see the way their young minds deal with the grief and the finality of such a loss.

1

“The Sign”

Season 3, Episode 49

One of the most emotional episodes of Bluey had an impact on those outside of the series’ core fandom. The emotional response to “The Sign” is the best example of how the messaging of the children’s show can connect to all ages. “The Sign” deals with the Heeler family packing up their home and moving after Bandit gets a new job offer. The episode of Bluey has a rare runtime of nearly 30 minutes and though most of the episode is about a wedding within the family, “The Sign” is still full of emotional moments.

These moments come in the form of Bluey and Bingo’s inability to understand why their family must move. Moving is a difficult circumstance for adults to process, let alone young children. Uprooting one’s family is rarely an easy process and Bluey understands this. “The Sign” succeeds in earning the audience’s tears without trying too hard because the writers understand the difficulties the move brings for everyone involved and are sure to explore the mixed emotions of both the Heeler children and parents.