Bluey might seem like just another cute kids’ show, but it’s really something else. Through a cute cartoon dog family, the Australian show touches on all sorts of serious and impactful topics. Characters navigate moments of hyperactivity, boredom, feeling left out, possibly moving, and more. But if you pay closer attention, you’ll notice that characters also deal with deeper things. Below are some of the deepest Bluey moments.

Infertility

In “Onesies,” Bluey and Bingo see their Aunty Brandy for the first time in four years. She brings them onesies. Bluey has a zebra one, and Bingo has a cheetah. While Bingo runs around chasing everyone, Bluey is sad that she can’t have the Cheetah. While hiding from her sister’s wild antics, Bluey asks her mom why Aunty Brandy hasn’t visited in four years, and if she is sad. 

Chili says, “You know how you really want Bingo’s cheetah onesie?”

“Yeah, more than anything,” Bluey answers.

“But it doesn’t fit you, so you can’t have it. And there’s not really anything anyone can do to make it fit.

“Yeah.”

“Well, there’s something Auntie Brandy wants more than anything as well, but she can’t have it. And there’s not really anything anyone can do.”

“Why can’t she just have the thing she wants?”

“Because it’s not meant to be.”

Then we see Bingo running inside after playing with her aunt, and Brandy gazes sadly after her, arms outstretched. 

While this may seem like a normal moment to younger audiences, it is clearer to teenagers and young adults that Brandy is longing for a baby. That is what she can’t have (as she is likely infertile), and why she struggled to visit her nieces. Meaningful moments like these may go over little ones’ heads, but are impactful to older audiences and help growing children understand complicated changes in the world around them.

Perfect

In “Perfect”, Bluey and Bandit are drawing Father’s Day cards for Bandit on the porch. Bingo jumps right in, but Bluey struggles to think of an idea. Chili prompts her to think of some of her favorite moments with her dad. Bluey draws a picture of a game her dad plays with them, but she feels it doesn’t look right. She starts over, drawing her dad tossing her onto a beanbag. But now, she thinks the couch looks wrong. She tries drawing her dad pretending not to see her sitting on a chair – and smooshing her – but she grows frustrated again. She notices that she isn’t really visible in the picture, so it isn’t perfect enough. Chili tries to explain that their dad will love anything they draw for him, and it doesn’t have to be perfect – as long as they put care into it. So Bluey tries one more drawing, where she is pretending to be a boomerang that keeps coming back and bumping into her dad every time he “throws” her. Even though both Bingo and Chili like it, Bluey is upset. 

“It’s just not perfect enough,” she says, and walks off to sit by herself in the backyard.

Her mom comes to sit with Bluey and asks her what’s wrong. Bluey reminds her of the other day, when Bingo made a flower drawing and showed it to her mom. “It’s perfect!” she had said, and had stuck it on top of Bluey’s drawing on the fridge because there wasn’t much room. Bluey had seen and been hurt that her drawing was covered. 

“I’m sorry, kid.”

Bluey’s mom explains that it was an accident.

“Being a parent’s tough,” she says.

“So is drawing,” Bluey adds.

Chili then asks Bluey how many times she got bumped or scratched when playing with her dad.

“And what’s the first thing he always says?

“It’s a good thing you’re tough…” Bluey says.

“So, yeah, drawing is tough, but…”

“It’s a good thing I’m tough?

“Yep!” her mom smiles proudly.

Next, we see the kids giving their art to Bandit, and he loves it. He sticks them both on the fridge, side by side, and Bluey has drawn her and her dad showing their biceps with rainbows and hearts in the background.

This episode shines a light on struggling with mistakes and striving to be perfect. While this one still nods to parents and allows them to think a little more like their children, it’s understandable for the children, too. It’s important that Bluey features struggles like this that are relatable to children, allowing them to connect the show to their real lives and help them learn and grow.

Copycat

“Copycat” opens with Bluey following around her dad and playing a game where she copies everything he says or does. Bandit teases Bluey, trying to get her to stop copying him. Bluey giggles and continues her game, following him on his morning walk. While chasing him around the block, she suddenly stops – seeing an injured bird chirping on the grass. She calls her dad over. Her dad tells her that it’s a little budgie and to go get a little box for him to lie in. She runs inside to get a shoebox and a tea towel. They hop in the car and drive to the vet, Bandit holding onto the box, which is sitting in the passenger seat. Bluey worriedly watches. When they arrive, the vet takes the bird, and Bluey and her dad wait, hoping he is okay. The vet then returns and tells them the budgie has died. On the car ride home, Bluey says, “Dad?”

“Yes, mate?”

“I don’t want the budgie to have died.”

“I know. Me neither. But there’s nothing we can do. It’s out of our hands.”

“Are you sure he won’t get better?”

“Yeah, I’m sure.”

When they arrive home, Bluey sits sadly, watching the birds. As Bingo runs by, Bluey gets an idea. The girls pretend that Bingo is the budgie, and Bluey is Bandit. They play the game just like it happened in real life. When they bring Bingo to Chili (the vet), she is able to heal the budgie! But Bluey says that’s not how the game is supposed to go. So Chili backtracks, but it’s too late. Bingo is running around with a bandage on her arm, chirping wildly, running away from Bluey as she chases her. Bluey’s mom comes up behind her and asks, “This isn’t how you wanted the game to go, is it?”

“No.”

That’s okay. There’s nothing we can do. It’s out of our hands.”

Bluey watches her sister play in the backyard. She looks up and sees two budgies flying across the sky.

This episode is super important because it doesn’t exactly have a happy ending. Almost every single kid’s show ends happily, but this show leans towards reality. Through the form of a little bird, the show introduces kids to loss and death, allowing them to possibly relate during hard times or learn about difficult life experiences in a comfortable environment.

These episodes are great examples of how powerful Bluey can be as a children’s show, but also to older audiences. It isn’t mindless, repetitive, or overly happy like many other shows can be. It allows children to relate, learn, and grow in a safe environment while introducing them to all sorts of experiences that resemble real struggles in life. I highly recommend watching an episode or two, because it’s not only really interesting to see the way Bluey strays from other kids’ shows, but it’s also cute, cozy, and fun. There are all kinds of moments that are aimed towards older audiences, and it is genuinely engaging to a range of ages. See for yourself!