Summary
- Bluey creates stories that can be appreciated by adults as well as kids, tackling themes like fatherhood, mental health, and loss.
- The show subtly implies deeper emotions, such as the Heelers having a miscarriage, which can only be fully understood by mature viewers.
- Bluey includes clever references and nods to pop culture and adult experiences, making it enjoyable for the whole family.
Although Bluey is primarily aimed at young kids, the ultra-popular Australian cartoon series boasts plenty of moments for adults. It's not necessarily a new approach to children's programming. Often, adults watch just as many cartoons and animated films as the kids in their lives, so it's always heartening when animators and writers add in nods that only more mature audiences can fully grasp. By and large, Bluey takes this practice to new heights. Instead of relying on slight gags and innuendo alone, the series creates stories that can be appreciated from multiple angles.
Bluey centers on the Heeler family: the titular Bluey is the eldest child of Bandit and Chilli, who's often having adventures with her sister, Bingo. Set in an Australia populated by bipedal dogs, Bluey has been praised and celebrated for its depiction of everything from fatherhood and mental health to intergenerational relationships and loss. At first glance, the brightly colored, canine-centric world of Bluey seems like it's all fun and games. However, beneath the imaginative glimpses into the kids' lives, there's a deeper emotional core — one that's both knowing and perfectly suited for adult audiences.
10 The Tragic Implications Of Bingo’s Popped Balloon
In Bluey season 2, "The Show" depicts a brief but incredibly telling moment that only more mature viewers will fully understand. As the episode title implies, Bluey and Bingo put on a performance for their parents. Bingo, who stuffs a balloon beneath her shirt, plays a character who's pregnant. Suddenly, in the middle of the show, Bingo's balloon pops.
The moment it happens, Bandit reaches for his wife's paw. The subtle implication here is that the Heelers had a miscarriage or other complications before having Bluey and Bingo. It's a small moment, but it hits like a gut-punch. Impacted by her loss, Bingo blames herself, but Bluey assures her sister that it's not her fault. Sometimes, terrible things just happen to you, and it's outside your control.
9 The Reveal At The End Of “Camping”
While on a camping trip with her family, Bluey meets a fellow pup, Jean-Luc. However, Jean-Luc speaks French, while Bluey speaks English. Even so, the two find ways to understand each other and play together. Each morning, Bluey rushes to meet up with Jean-Luc at the creek. One day, though, Jean-Luc isn't there; his family's camping trip is over.
Kids can certainly get a lot out of "Camping," which illustrates many essential lessons. However, adult viewers who have experienced more chance meetings or who have drifted apart from friends will feel this deeply. The episode is made all-the-more heartfelt when, at the end, a grow-up Bluey and Jean-Luc reunite at the campgrounds.
8 Bandit’s Dark Unicorse Jokes
One of the funniest episodes of Bluey, "Unicorse" sees Chilli attempting to read a story to an over-stimulated Bluey. Bandit, meanwhile, is having a laugh by embodying the cruel, darkly funny persona of the titular unicorse puppet. At one point, Bluey asks the unicorse what it likes to eat, to which Bandit's puppet replies, in complete deadpan, "children." While this response will no doubt elicit laughter from viewers of all ages, the inclusion of such a dry, darkly humorous moment feels aimed at adults more than kids.
7 Chili’s Need For Alone Time In “The Beach”
During an episode entitled "The Beach," Chilli wants some alone time. Bluey and Bingo can't quite understand why their mum would take time from their family outing to go it solo, leaving Bandit to explain Chilli's introverted nature to the kids. Again, kids can learn a lot from this episode of Bluey. The eponymous character learns that her mother's needs don't impact their love; sometimes, people just all need a minute. This same sentiment comes up in other episodes of the series, and it's a deeply relatable (though often conflicting) feeling for adults. It's moments like this that make Bluey one of the best TV shows of 2023.
6 The Emotional Ending Of “Baby Race”
One of the most iconic and emotional episodes of Bluey, "Baby Race," features Chilli recounting the story of Bluey's attempts to walk. She reveals that she was a very involved mum, one who wanted to do everything right. Although Bluey was an expert crawler, however, walking proved more challenging. This caused some complicated feelings for Chilli, who considered Bluey's extra learning time her own failure.
Initially, Chilli feels judged by the other mothers in her circle. However, she comes to realize that everyone is struggling in some way and that everyone learns at a different pace. It's a beautiful lesson that feels more pointed at adults than kids. In the episode's final moments, Bluey takes her first steps because she sees something she really wants — her mum.
5 How “Grandad” Explores Parent-Child Relationships
While the episode's title, "Grandad," might imply a fun visit to grandfather's house, it's much more than that. Bluey and Bingo bond with their grandparent, Mort, all while Chilli navigates the fact that her father is aging. In fact, Mort is supposed to be keeping a low profile and resting during the Heelers' visit. Instead, he makes a run for it with his grandkids, leading them on an adventure into the bush land.
Chilli learns to respect her father's independence and agency, but she also realizes the ways in which she must parent him now. At the end of the episode, Mort and Chilli sit on the dock together and the shot changes to show the two doing the same thing when Chilli was a pup. It's hard to think of any other kids' show that explores intergenerational relationships so directly.
4 The Real Meaning Of “Onesies”
In the season 3 episode of Bluey entitled "Onesies," Chilli's sister, Brandy (voiced by Platonic's Rose Byrne), comes to visit for the first time in years. She brings some animal onesies with her as gifts, but the presents have a decidedly tragic meaning behind them. At first, Brandy only speaks to Bluey, pretty much ignoring Bingo. When Chilli points out that Brandy and Bingo look alike, she realizes it was a misstep.
Although the surface-level story of the episode focuses on Bingo taking on the personas of her animal onesies, the deeper implication is that Brandy can't have children. The references are more obvious than those to Chilli's struggles with infertility — namely, Brandy has a hard time seeing her mini-me, Bingo, and gives the girls onesies that'd once been intended for her own pups.
3 Sly References To The Adults’ Alcohol Consumption
In several episodes, the Heelers make sly references to sipping alcoholic beverages. When Bluey asks her parents to recount the time they met, Bandit says that Chilli may not all the details, implying she was a few drinks in. In the season 2 episode "Stumpfest," Bandit and his friends tackle some yardwork, while Chilli and the other mums day drink; at the end of the episode, Bluey brings the dads some of Chilli's lemonade, and their shuddering reactions imply that it's spiked. However, the most clear example of this through-line can be seen in "Whale Watching," an episode that has the Heelers navigating parenting while hungover.
2 Pop Culture References To The Lord Of The Rings & More
Bluey is full of pop culture references, and, more often than not, those nods are to shows and movies that adults have seen. Instead of referencing other kids' shows, Bluey opts for some timeless gags. For example, in "Yoga Ball," the girls ask Bandit to roll the titular object down the hallway at them — a game Bandit soon dubs "Raiders" in an allusion to the second Indiana Jones film. In "Featherwand," Bandit stops Bingo from running out the front door, bellowing, "You shall not !" in reference to Gandalf from The Lord of the Rings. From Crocodile Dundee to Dirty Dancing, Bluey is never short on the fun, adult-centered references.
1 Bandit’s Polaroid Camera Innuendo
In the season 1 episode "Bob Bilby," Bingo brings her classroom puppet home for the weekend to scrapbook their time together. This leads to the Heelers, one of the greatest couples in cartoon history, taking a stroll down memory lane with their kids. At one point, Bandit and the girls find his old Polaroid camera in the garage. When the door opens, revealing Chilli (who says something in a semi-sultry voice), Bandit's camera goes off and spits out a photo. It's a cheeky bit of Bluey innuendo that's sure to have the kiddos chuckling, all while their parents laugh harder.