Cartoon Catharsis: The 7 Bluey Episodes That Make Me Cry

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Cartoon Catharsis: The 7 Bluey Episodes That Make Me Cry

At any point in my life did I think I’d be writing a very public blog post about a kids’ TV show… about a cartoon dog? No. And I definitely didn’t think I’d be writing a SECOND post about it, either. But here we are.

I’ve spouted my adoration for Bluey online and in person, and I have no qualms about admitting that some of the episodes straight up make me cry. Ever since having kids, I’m ready to cry at just about anything, and Bluey is no exception. Some of the episodes just bring tears to my eyes, and some lead to a little more waterworks. There’s just something about this show that entertains my kids but touches me as an adult at the same time. Some of the episodes are true masterpieces… and let’s not forget the downright gorgeous music that accompanies them all!

While we wait for Season 3 to be officially released, I’d like to share a list of the seven Bluey episodes that make me cry almost without fail (or at the very least, tear up). Some are obvious, and some might surprise you!

1. Copycat

In this episode, Dad and Bluey find a hurt budgie and bring it to the vet, but the budgie doesn’t survive, so Bluey finds a way to come to terms with the death through play. Well, of course, the episode that tackles young children processing the concept of death makes me cry. What gets me most out of anything, though, is that Mum is waiting for Bluey with open arms when they return from the vet, and Bluey throws herself right into the hug. 

2. Camping

Bluey meets a new friend on a camping trip who only speaks French, but his family leaves before hers. Unable to communicate that his vacation is over, he leaves without being able to say goodbye, and Bluey deals with the idea that she might never see him again. The conversation that Mum has with Bluey under the enormous starry sky starts the tears for me, as Bluey asks, “Will I ever see him again?” Mum replies, “You never know… the world’s a magical place.” How true that is.

3. Sleepy Time

Y’all, the MUSIC in this episode. Bingo reads a book about the solar system and has corresponding dreams, envisioning her mother as the sun– the center of her universe, warm, loving, and constant. The visuals are beautiful, but the music swells and soars when she sees her mum/the sun, and, yep, brings me to tears.

4. Grandad

I make it through this entire episode just fine until the last five seconds of it. My kid even looks at me expectantly at the end, anticipating that I will tear up. Chili worries about her father’s health throughout the episode, but at the very end, Chili mentions to her father that the fun of her childhood was a long time ago, and Grandad responds, “No… it was yesterday.” Four words, and I well up every time!

5. Handstand

It’s Bingo’s birthday party, and she’s trying to do a handstand, and no one will pay any attention to her. Separately, nobody wants Nana’s help at the party, and she just wants to be useful. They find each other… and nothing else matters. This episode, full of ongoing, nonstop animation, is amazing in itself, and perhaps I’m the only one who cries at it, but it just gets me every time. Bingo is meant to be the center of attention at the whole party, but she’s content being only Nana’s center of attention with her handstands, and Nana couldn’t be happier.

6. Baby Race

It’s the episode every new mom needs to watch– to be reminded to run your own race, care for your own child the way they need to be cared for, and to be told that you’re doing great. Baby Bluey isn’t hitting milestones quite as fast as Chili would like, but of course, it all works out in the end. And Baby Bluey finally learning to walk because she wanted to get to her mum? “Maybe she saw something she wanted.” Kleenex, please.

7. Flatpack

This is it. This is the ultimate episode to me. I may be the only one to feel so strongly about Flatpack, but I think I could write dissertations about the greatness of this one episode. Not only are we watching the progression of a parent and child’s relationship from infancy to adulthood, but we’re also watching the general evolution of humanity at the same time. What?! It’s all too much for me to even try to recap in a short blog. But as the episode concludes, and Bluey, having pretended to be a mother who has just watched her child go off into her own adult life, questions what happens next, the show tenderly depicts her passing and gaining access to a heaven-like utopia. There’s a “Creation of Adam” style shot that makes my brain wonder how on earth this is just a kids’ show, and then the MUSIC, and this, my friends, is the episode that makes me cry, and cry, and cry.

If you’re a Bluey fan, are there any episodes that make you cry? I know I’m not the only one shedding tears over a kids’ show! And make this Bluey inspired magic asparagus recipe.

Erica Tran
Erica lives in Kenner with her husband Michael and her three sons, Benjamin, Joshua, and Elijah. After graduating from UL Lafayette with a degree in advertising and landing her dream job, she left her chosen field and now works part time as an administrative assistant for a Catholic retreat movement. She spends the rest of her time at home with her boys, finding lost toys and actively ignoring various messes. In 2019, she self-published her first book, The Sister. There's not a lot of free time between working, reading and writing, and chasing her kids, but in those moments she's usually sprawled on the sofa in casual denial about just how messy her house is.

21 COMMENTS

  1. “Camping” is the first and heaviest hitter for me. Our family has a tradition of tent camping with some dear friends of ours. That sets the empathetic backdrop for this episode, whose missile impact hits when the two friends reunite 10 years later.

    The episode that SHOULD destroy me, but hasn’t yet, is “Takeaway”. When Bandit tries too hard to micromanage his kids and then gets his cookie fortune…that’s one of those Parenting 101 moments that this show is famous for. Someday as my boys get older, that ep is going to slaughter me, I can feel it.

  2. Just watched Army and let me tell you, I know a lot of veterans and folks that are still in. Many of them have dealt with ADHD, like Russell, and have found the military provides a stability that allows their talents to shine. As I watched this episode, I teared up because I know so many wonderful people who were told they weren’t good enough find purpose by serving. The writers have such an understanding on so many social issues and handle each with grace and sincerity.

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