If you have found yourself tearing up while watching a children’s show about cartoon dogs, don’t worry, you aren’t alone. The creators of the Australian hit children’s showBlueyhave become masters of the art of making their older viewers cry. So much so that it’s jump-started a whole community for olderBlueyfans to rave about the show and its adult themes.
Blueycovers several topics that can sometimes be difficult to talk about with your kids, and gives them a visual example. Some include having a parent away in the military, struggling with fertility, and moving away from your childhood home. There are even brief subtle moments scattered throughout the show that cover topics like divorce, having a miscarriage, and dating with kids. All are extremely well-written and tackle the issues with a mature, childish charm that can make even the toughest viewers happy or ugly cry.
Blueyhas been around since 2018 now and is still extremely popular with a fourth season in the works, which meansviewers can expect more adult topics tackled.Here are some possible topics that would have us reaching for the tissues.
10Bluey or Bingo’s First Sleepover
Yes, there is already an episode called “The Sleepover,” but this was Bluey and Bingo hosting their cousin Muffin. Plus, Muffin was a tired wild child because she “skipped a sleep” and wasn’t behaving like herself and that’s what the entire episode centered around. Yes, we see some emotional growth from Bluey learning to do the right thing even though it’s not what she wants to do, but we don’t get that emotional “I need a tissue box” moment.
A First Sleepover Can Be an Emotional Experience
If the creators want a more emotional sleepover episode, what they should do is have it center around Bluey or Bingo’s first sleepover at either their friend’s house or their cousin’s house. This wouldgive the creators the chance to explore experienceslike having to eat something they have never tried before and are nervous about. Maybe one of the girls accidentally wets the bed during the sleepover and has to deal with that embarrassing life moment.
They could also tackle the emotions of a child missing their parents before they go to bed, or maybe they get scared and need to call home so they can calm down. All of these situations would be relatable for both kids and parents who have more than likely experienced one of these issues in their lives.
9Bluey or Bingo Caught Stealing
Sometimes, no matter how many times you tell your kids no, it just doesn’t register with them. A lot of parents have had to go through the embarrassment of going to the cashier togive back an item their child stole, or even more embarrassing, having to talk to the parents of their kid’s friends about something they stole. What’s worse is that when this happens, the kids and parents know they did something wrong on purpose, and it is heartbreaking for the parents. They start to ask questions like, “Did I do something wrong?” or “Who are they hanging out with at school?” and then there’s the thought that keeps them up for a few days, “Will they do it again?”
Busted and Now It’s Time to Face the Consequences
What would throwBlueyfans for a loop is a dream sequence of Bluey or Bingo in the future being caught stealing from a store. They could do a whole bit of having some cops take them downtown to be fingerprinted and then the awkward and silent car trip back home before they unload about how disappointed they are and ground them. That would be a trip and would certainly trigger tears in some parents who have gone through that.
If the creators do tackle this issue, it will probably be in their traditional cutesy way. Maybe Bingo takes a small toy from a friend after a playdate and begins to feel overwhelmed with guilt until she confesses her crime. There could be funny inadvertent innuendos scattered about the episode from Bandit and Chilly before Bingo confesses. This would probably be the safer option to not just make sure the episode is relatable andfun for parents but also keep the kids engaged and educated.
8First Time Parent with Twins
One joke a lot of parents expecting their first child hear is, “What if you have twins?” It’s a humorous question that gets an awkward chuckle most of the time. In today’s world, expecting parents usually know well before their due date what they are having and how many they are having, but that doesn’t stop the question from sizzling on the back burner of their minds.
Double the Trouble & Double the Love
This would have to be an episode centered around either one of the adult friends of Chilly and Bandit or maybe Chilly’s sister Brandy, who did show up pregnant inthe episode, “The Sign.“If that’s the route the creators go, it could be one of the most emotional episodes in the history ofBluey. We know Brandy has been struggling with fertility, which is why she has struggled to be in Bluey and Bingo’s lives. So giving her not one, but two kiddos would be an amazing life change for not only Brandy, but the whole Healer family.
But if they decide to center it around a new character, showcasing the struggle of first-time parents with twins would be extremely relatable to all parents. Getting used to a new sleep schedule, waking up in the middle of the night every other hour, and becoming sleep-deprived is not exclusive to having twins. So if we can see that unfold and then throw in a heartwarming moment similar to the end of “Baby Race,” tears will flow.
7Being a Single Parent
Raising a child by oneself has become more common these days.Most readers probably have a friend or family member who is currently doing this. If you are a single parent, then you’ll probably agree it is not a walk in the park, and that’s putting it lightly. For the most part, there’s no backup when you are home with the kids at the end of a long day, it’s up to you to take care of the kids, the home, maybe their pets, and most importantly, yourself. After a while, it can be exhausting.
Kids, the Gift That Keeps on Giving
In Bluey, there are several parents that the creators could work with for this episode. The first one that comes to mind is the Healer’s neighbor Wendy, who is seen in a number of episodes with her daughter Judo, but we have yet to see her dad. This would be a great opportunity to give both of these characters more depth on top ofcreating an ugly cry moment for fans of the show.
Many fans have criticized both Judo and Wendy as being shallow characters that often come off as mean to others, but knowing what goes on behind the scenes of their daily lives could “humanize” (in quotations because they are dogs) them more. As for the ugly cry moment, maybe we could learn why Wendy is a single mother. It could have been a divorce, an unfortunate passing, or maybe Wendy is like Brandy and had fertility issues and Judo is her miracle baby. If the creators tee up any of these options, it will get the waterworks going.
6Having a Friend That’s Handicapped
We’ve seen a fewcharacters with disabilities inBluey,like deafness and ADHD, but we haven’t seen a character that uses a wheelchair or crutches to get around. Making sure disabilities are represented is something the creators have been praised for handling. So there would be no doubt from fans that they could tackle the topic and introduce kids to a handicapped character, in a natural, fun, and educational manner.
Inclusion and Representation at It’s Finest
The fun thing about this topic is that it would mean the creators would get tocreate an all-new character for the show. One way they could showcase this topic is to have it be centered around handicapped parking spots. If you’re a parent, you probably have had your kids ask, “Why don’t you just park there?” once or twice. This would be a perfect way to introduce a handicapped character to youngBlueyfans in an organic way.
Maybe in this episode, Bluey could be making a scene about how they have to walk “for ages” to get to the entrance when they could have been there quicker by taking the handicap spot. Then, maybe while they’re shopping, Bluey meets a young handicapped kid and creates fun games that she has to alter slightly for the two of them to play. Then maybe Bluey gets surprised by how much the handicapped person can do on their own. It would be cute and would make for happy tears.
5Flash-Forward Episode for Bingo
Blueyfans know that anytime we get a flash-forward sequence, they’d better have a tissue box ready because 99.99% of the time it is going to make you happy cry. Some of the best moments of the show come from these flash-forward scenes. There’s “Camping” where we get to see Bluey reunite with her French-speaking Canadian friend Jean Luc under a tree they planted together years ago. Then we have the episode “The Sign” that gives us a flash-forward to an adult Bluey coming home to hang out with Grandma Chilly and Grandpa Bandit.But we haven’t seen one of these for Bingo yet.
What Does Bingo’s Future Look Like?
Flash-forward scenes inBlueyare legendary.In the episode “Daddy Drop Off,” we get a taste of a flash-forward for Bingo. We see how Bingo met her best friend Lila in school, and then it ends with a time-lapse of pictures of the two of them over the years, ending at their high school graduation. (Note: The author is sniffling while writing this one.)
It’s emotional, but fans want more. Give us a taste of what an older version of Bingo sounds like. Let’s see her interact with older Bluey, Bandit, and Chilly. A flash-forward for Bingo that the creators should seriously consider is one of Bingo moving out to go to college with Lila as her roommate.
4Preparing for a New Sibling
Getting ready for baby number two or three in your family is an exciting time, but it can bring hardships for older siblings. Evenif parents take the proper steps in preparing the older siblings for the new baby, there is still a chance that they will feel anxious about losing time with their parents. Sometimes a child might get so jealous about the new baby that they start acting like a baby in an attempt to get more attention. It’s a moment in life that would make a perfect episode forBluey.
Get Ready to Hear the Big Question, “Where Do Babies Come From?”
It would be wild to see the Healer family preparing for a new baby. It could almost be a series of episodes filled with heartwarming moments, like Bluey counseling Bingo, who may be nervous about a new baby, and going over what it was like when she was getting ready for Bingo to be born. It could be similar tothe episode “Baby Race” and Chilli could be telling stories about what Bluey was like getting ready for Bingo’s birth. Also, what if Chilli and Bandit know they are having a boy? Now the girls have to get ready to have another boy in the house.
If the writers and producers do tackle this topic, a lot of fans would be tickled pink if they centered it around Bluey’s auntie Brandy, who is already pregnant with her first child. Regardless of who they follow for this episode, it could very well set the record for most tears cried during an episode of a children’s cartoon.
3Coping with a Miscarriage
These next two entries will be a little dark, but one thing Bluey is known for is tackling adult topics. While this may be too adult for kids, it’s still a subject that would be bold and brave of the writers and producers to tackle. Having a miscarriage is a lot more common than people think. According to the Mayo Clinic,10-20% of women experience one in their lives, but they believe that number is much higher since many have a miscarriage before they realize they’re pregnant.
Your Angel Baby Still Loves You
This would be a heavy topic forBlueyto cover, and the writers would have to execute some of their best writing to make the topic kid-friendly, sensitive, and engaging. But if there are any writers in show business that could do it, it’s the writers forBluey.
That said, if the writers know what’s good for them, they will NOT, repeat NOT, have this be centered around Auntie Brandy. She has been through so much and deserves a baby in her life. So, passing this episode off to one of their friends would be a good place to start. This would be a great opportunity to give some of Blueys friends' parents more depth. The writers could also tackle itthe way they’ve tackled divorceand just have one of Bluey or Bingo’s friends mention it at school or while they’re playing. Those moments pass within a few seconds but still make the adult viewers shed some quick tears.
2Coping with the Death of a Loved One
This will be the last dark entry on this list, but it’s stilla moment in life that everyone can relateto and a topic that people should honestly not be afraid to talk about. Yes, losing your childhood best friend too soon, or losing a family member, creates a hole in your heart that can never be filled, but wouldn’t you rather talk about them and remember the good times with other people who loved them, instead of bottling up those feelings and pretending they were never there at all? There’s a quote from legendary children’s book author Dr. Seuss that goes, “Don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened.”
We Carry Our Loved Ones With Us
Similar to the idea of having an episode about miscarriages, tackling the death of a loved one would need to be handled with an extreme amount of care. It wouldn’t be right for the writers to kill off one of Bluey’s friends or grandparents. The world would need the 2.0 version of Noah’s Ark to save people from the flood of tears that would come if the happened.
But what could be equally effective is if Bandit or Chilli get a letter in the mail that one of their old mates from high school or college passed away. This would be a calmer way to introduce these feelings to kids and still be relatable for adult viewers. Then they can show the Healers attending the celebration of life, and do what they did in the episode “The Sign,” highlighting all the happy moments, like Bandit and Chilli reconnecting with old friends, or Bluey and Bingo making new friends, and then sprinkle in some sad moments like Bandit or Chilli getting emotional after telling a fun story or Bluey and Bingo giving them a big hug to show their support.
20 Most Emotional Episodes of ‘Bluey’
Even adult fans of the popular children’s show ‘Bluey’ admit to getting emotional while watching the series.
1Flash-Forward to Bluey’s Wedding
Blueyhas kind of been getting theTwilighttreatment from adult viewers lately. Will Bluey be Team Jean-Luc or Team Mackenzie? The world may never know. But interest in the topic has gone through the roof ever since the ending of the episode “The Sign.” At the end of this tearjerker,we get to meet adult Bluey, who comes home to visit her parents who are still living in her childhood home. Then the doorbell rings, but when Bandit answers the door, no one is there, until Bandit realizes a little kid is hiding with a toy gun ready for attack. It’s widely believed that this kid is Bluey’s, which is why a wave of adult viewers want to know who Bluey marries.
Team Jean-Luc or Team Mackenzie
So why were Jean Luc and Mackenzie chosen for this debate? Let’s start with Mackenzie. Throughout the series, Bluey and Mackenzie are depicted as close friends, with a fun rivalry, and their banter is hilarious. They also normalize that it’s ok for a boy to want to hang out with a girl, and vice versa. This is huge because 25 years ago, it wasn’t a “normal” thing for parents to let their children do. This has sparked many viewers' belief that Mackenzie and Bluey have a crush on each other.
The interest in Jean-Luc stems from the episode “Camping.” In this episode, Bluey meets the French-speaking Canadian black lab Jean-Luc. Despite having a language barrier between the two, they find a way to communicate so they can play games, plant a tree, and form a strong friendship, to the point that both are sad and cry when Jean-Luc has to leave. But at the end of the episode, they are reunited underneath the tree they planted as kids, wagging their tails in delight.
