Bluey is a children’s show, which means that it doesn’t get into some of the heavy issues that adult TV does. Still, the series has enough empathy and heart to explore some surprisingly poignant topics. Here are the ten Bluey episodes that are most likely to make you cry!
Some of these episodes are straight-up sad. Some deal with sensitive issues. Others just tell a really tender story. All of them will make you tear up.
10. Space (season 3, episode 34)
In “Space,” three kids from Bluey’s school pretend they’re space explorers out in the stars. However, McKenzie keeps getting separated from the group, and eventually lets himself get sucked into a black hole. On the other side of the hole, he finally confronts a traumatic memory and realizes that he can move on.
9. Flatpack (season 2, episode 24)
“Flatpack,” on its surface, is a fun, silly episode about Bluey and Bingo’s adventures with a pile of packing materials from a furniture store. However, as the episode goes on, you slowly realize they’re acting out the evolution of human … er, dog-kind. It ends with Bluey joining her makers in a shockingly poignant twist.
8. Baby Race (season 2, episode 50)
Every mom who’s ever felt like they’ll never be good enough can relate to “Baby Race.” Chilli tells the story of Bluey’s infant years, when Chilli was impatient for Bluey’s development to catch up to the other babies. At the end, though, Chilli gets some welcome reassurance that she’s doing just fine as a mother.
7. Camping (season 1, episode 43)
In “Camping,” Bluey makes a new friend on a camping trip, but then learns a hard lesson about how ephemeral some friendships can be. Definitely watch this one all the way to the end, because it has an absolutely beautiful final twist.
6. The Show (season 3, episode 34)
The tear-jerker element in “The Show” is subtle, but you’ll spot it if you’re paying attention. Bluey and Bingo decide to put on a show about Bluey’s birth. Bingo, playing Chilli, puts a balloon under her shirt to make it look like she’s pregnant. When the balloon pops, Bandit quickly grabs Chilli’s hand in the audience. Series creator Joe Brumm confirmed that Chilli had a miscarriage, and she and Bandit are reacting to the memory of it when the balloon pops.
5. Copycat (season 1, episode 38)
A game of “Copycat” starts out fun, but takes a tragic turn when Bluey finds an injured bird. Things don’t go well for the bird, and Bluey surprises Bandit by using play to process her grief.
4. Cricket (season 3, episode 47)
There’s nothing technically sad in this episode, but it’ll make you cry anyway. Bandit narrates the story of how Bluey’s friend Rusty got so good at the game of cricket. Along the way, we learn the moving story of Rusty’s relationship with his dad, and get an inspirational look at Rusty’s future.
3. Onesies (season 3, episode 31)
In “Onesies,” Chilli’s sister Brandy comes for a long-overdue visit. Why are Chilli and Brandy estranged, though? It turns out there’s a painful reason why Brandy can’t bring herself to visit Chilli and the kids more often. This episode includes a quick visual metaphor that’s so raw, it almost hurts.
2. Granddad (season 2, episode 27)
Chilli’s dad is a lot of fun, and Bluey and Bingo love playing with their granddad. Chilli’s got more complicated feelings on the matter, though, and the episode culminates in a heart-to-heart she has with her dad about how he needs to take care of his health. Why is Chilli so concerned for him? Partly it’s natural to want to take care of an aging parent, but we get some more insight into the matter in “Dragon.”
1. Dragon (season 3, episode 43)
In “Dragon,” Bluey wants to draw a dragon, but she’s frustrated that she can’t get it quite right. Bluey’s in awe of Chilli’s drawing ability, though, and thanks to a magic memory spell, Chilli is able to show Bluey that it’s partly thanks to her mom’s encouragement when Chilli was a child. At the end of the episode, Chilli gets a poignant moment of closure.
(featured image: Disney+)
