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15 Emotional 'Bluey' Episodes That Always Make Parents Cry
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Vote up the emotional Bluey episodes that sneak up on you.
Bluey is a children's show from Australia that's become wildly popular all over the world. Kids love it for the bright colors, engaging characters, and relatable storylines. But adults - especially parents - also love Bluey, because it features many moments they can relate to as well.Â
Some of these episodes will make parent cry happy tears. “Flat Pack,” for example, is about putting aside everyday frustration to appreciate how amazing it can be to have kids. But other episodes have a sadder tone. One of the series' most devastating episodes, The Show, includes a subtle nod to one of the characters having a miscarriage.Â
Which Bluey episodes make you ugly-cry the hardest?
- 159 VOTES
Onesies
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The Plot: Chilli's sister Brandy comes to visit after avoiding the family for a long time, and brings animal suits for Bingo and Bluey. Bluey is disappointed because she wanted the cheetah outfit, but it doesn't fit her. Meanwhile, Bingo goes wild as she becomes one with the suit. The episode also briefly explores the relationship between Chilli and Brandy, and the reason Brandy has been away for so long.
The Lesson: Even if you really want something, you can't always have it. This is true for Bluey regarding the cheetah costume, and it's true for Brandy on a much deeper level. It's a sad truth for both kids and adults.
The Tears: The episode implies that Brandy can't have children despite desperately wanting to, which is why she's stayed away from her sister's family for years. If you've had to deal with infertility - or any circumstances making parenthood difficult to achieve - this episode is going to be painfully relatable.
- 243 VOTES
The Sign
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The Plot: The Heelers are on the brink of a major change after Bandit gets a new job in a different town. The family's house is for sale, and everybody has mixed feelings. Bluey teams up with Bingo, Muffin, and Socks to remove the for sale sign in front of the house and hopefully stop the house from being sold.
At the same time, the family is preparing to host the wedding of uncle Rad and Chili's friend Frisky in their backyard. When Frisky finds out Rad expects her to move across the country after the wedding, she storms off in anger. The kids and Chili have to find where Frisky went in order for the wedding to go on as planned. They find Frisky and help her and Rad communicate better, then celebrate with all of their family at the backyard wedding.
The Lesson: This episode is a real emotional journey for everyone involved: Bluey and Bingo have to prepare themselves to leave the town and friends they love; Chili and Bandit have to decide between a better life for their family and the home they've built; Frisky and Rad have to be upfront about how they plan to make decisions as a couple; and viewers have to process whether the show they love will change (or possibly even end for good). In the end, the story Bluey's teacher Calypso tells her at the beginning of the episode echoes as everyone accepts that all things that happen can prove to be good luck or bad luck, and the only option they have is to look forwards and see what fate has in store.
The Tears: If you're considering a life change or nervous about a decision, the catharsis at the end of the episode may have you sobbing sympathetically over the final montage. After Bandit finally yanks the for sale sign out of the yard and throws it into the cul de sac, Chili runs out and tackles him out of relief. The family then enjoys a meal together in the furniture-less house, and the joy they feel just being together is overwhelming.
- 357 VOTES
Sleepytime
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The Plot: Bingo wants a “big girl sleep” - to stay in her own bed all night. But the whole family spends the night wandering around, in and out of different beds, trying to sleep. Bingo, meanwhile, has an elaborate and beautiful dream about hatching from an earth-shaped egg in space. The dream is a poignant depiction of her movement toward independence.
The Lesson: Children might grow up and need their parents less, but their parents will always be there for them, because they love them. At least, that's the ideal this show presents.
The Tears: This is one of the most beautiful episodes in the entire series. It gets its message across in a surreal, dreamlike way. One particularly heart-tugging moment occurs when Bingo lets her stuffed bunny go off to join the other bunnies in a cuddly ring around Saturn. It's a toy, but the love she shows it reflects the love her own mother shows her, even as Bingo works toward gaining independence. The moment when she's alone and shivering on a tiny planet by herself is painful, but that pain is soothed when she sees a representation of her mother saying she'll always love her and be there for her, even if Bingo can't see her.
- 467 VOTES
Copycat
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The Plot: Bluey gets distracted by an injured budgie on the ground. Bandit and Bluey take the bird to the vet, but it doesn't survive. Bluey processes the bird's demise through play.
The Lesson: Bluey learns that some things are out of her hands - Bingo not playing the way she wants her to, and the bird's passing - and she just has to accept them.
The Tears: Everybody has to learn about death at some point, but that doesn't make it any less painful to watch a child grapple with the concept. Bluey tries bargaining about it, asking her father if he's sure there's no way for the budgie to survive. When she gets home from the vet, she immediately runs into her mother's arms.
- 546 VOTES
The Show
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The Plot: On Mother's Day, the family tries to bring Chilli breakfast in bed. When Bingo accidentally drops a plate, she's upset because she thinks she ruins everything. Later, Bluey and Bingo decide to put on a play about their parents' road to becoming parents. But when something goes wrong, Bingo gets upset and doesn't want to continue. Bluey helps her get back in the game.
The Lesson: The show must go on. That's what Chilli says to Bingo at the start of the episode, and it's what Bluey repeats to her sister later. If something goes wrong, it's fine to feel your feelings about it, but ultimately you have to keep trying.
The Tears: During the play, Bingo pretends to be a pregnant Chilli by stuffing a balloon under her shirt. When the balloon pops, Bandit immediately reaches for Chilli's hand. Why did he expect her to be upset? Because she'd previously had a miscarriage. This was confirmed by Bluey writer Joe Brumm in Isabelle Broderberg's book Hard to Bear: Investigating the science and silence of miscarriage. This is a sad subject for anyone, but it will hit harder for anyone who's had to deal with it themselves.
- 664 VOTES
Baby Race
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The Plot: Chilli explains to Bluey and Bingo that when Bluey was a baby, Chilli was a little too obsessed with how quickly she learned how to do things like crawl and walk. Specifically, she wanted Bluey to move faster than Judo because she thought she was in competition with Judo's mother. After a pep talk from Bella, she changes her approach and starts focusing on Bluey herself, not on how she compares to others.
The Lesson: The lesson here is more for the parents than for the kids. Chilli spends a lot of time comparing her baby to other babies, and blaming herself when her development didn't happen at the same pace. She learns that she's not doing anything wrong - she just has to focus on her child instead of everyone else's.
The Tears: The episode has two tear-inducing moments. In the first, Bella tells Chilli she's doing a good job at parenting - something she didn't believe at first, and felt relieved to hear from someone else. The second comes at the end of the episode when Bluey finally walks. A baby's first steps are always impressive, but the fact that she walks to her mother ties the whole episode together perfectly.
- 771 VOTES
Grandad
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The Plot: Chilli takes Bluey and Bingo to visit her father, who is supposed to be resting after having heartworm surgery, but he'd rather take Bluey and Bingo canoeing. He and his granddaughters spend most of the episode gleefully running away from Chilli, but at the end, he decides to listen to Chilli's request that he slow down because he knows, deep down, that she's right.
The Lesson: In the beginning of the episode, Bluey says that whether or not she eats the pumpkin seeds her mother wants her to eat should be her decision. Chilli disagrees, a them that runs parallel to her father's view that it should be up to him whether he rests properly or not. Ultimately, the message is that whether you're a kid or an adult, sometimes you've got to listen to other perspectives. In Bluey's case, it's because Chilli has more experience and can make better decisions. In Granddad's case, it's because he needs to think about how his choices affect his family.
The Tears: Even as an adult, you still need your parents. This episode makes that painfully clear when Chilli begs her father to take care of himself because she still needs him around. Her mother has already passed, which makes things even sadder. There's also a sense of nostalgia that can make you go all misty-eyed. At the end of the episode, Chilli and her dad reminisce about her childhood. If you're an older adult, you might also have some feelings about Grandad's age diminishing his capabilities.
- 840 VOTES
Curry Quest
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The Plot: Framed by Chilli's description of a hero's quest, this episode follows Bandit and Bingo as they swap curries with Mackenzie's parents. The venture is more fraught than it sounds because they have to get past an aggressive magpie. When Bingo learns that her father is going to be away for about six weeks because of his job, she has a hard time dealing with it, but eventually accepts the situation - and comes up with an excellent idea to deal with the magpies.
The Lesson: Going on a hero's journey means being brave and taking things on even when you don't want to or you're afraid. Bingo learns this lesson dealing with the magpie and her father's departure, and Mackenzie's mother, who doesn't want to do face-painting because she isn't good at it, is encouraged by Bingo to do it anyway.
The Tears: It's never easy for parents to leave their kids, especially when it's for a long period of time. Bandit has to go on a business trip that lasts for six weeks, and Bingo is really upset. If you've ever had to separate from your own child, you might recognize Bingo's reaction. Also, the framing of the characters as heroes for doing things that they don't want to do, whether it's going away for work or squaring up with a magpie, is relatable and sweet.
- 933 VOTES
Rug Island
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The Plot: Bingo and Bluey are upset that Bandit has to go to work and can't play with them. He decides to take the day off and play a game called Rug Island with them that involves using colored pens that click together to make objects. Those objects are on an island populated only by kids - except for Bandit, who washes up there and has to learn to live like a kid. In the end, Bingo tells him he should leave - not because she wants him to, but because she knows it's right.
The Lesson: The episode depicts both an appreciation for childhood and an understanding that it doesn't last forever, and life must go on. Bandit learns to prioritize spending time with his girls because their childhood is fleeting - and the girls, or at least Bingo, learn that adults really do have responsibilities they need to attend to.
The Tears: In the final moment of the episode, Bandit sees his “ship” and decides he has to leave Rug Island - a clear symbol for the simple and joyful world of childhood. Sure, they're just playing a game, but it reminds him of how fleeting his time with his little girls really is - and he also misses his own childhood. When Bingo gives him one of the pens from their game, he says she's given him “everything” - meaning, he still has access to the world of imagination. If your own children have brought you that kind of magic, it'll be hard not to shed some happy tears.
- 1060 VOTES
Camping
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The Plot: While on a camping trip with her family, Bluey meets a boy named Jean-Luc. Even though Jean-Luc speaks French and Bluey speaks English, the two still manage to communicate and become friends. Sadly, that friendship is interrupted when Jean-Luc has to go home.
The Lesson: Bluey learns it can be sad when friendships naturally end, but it's best to focus on cherishing the memories of that friendship. She also learns that goodbye for now doesn't have to mean goodbye forever.
The Tears: Bluey's disappointment with her friend's departure is hard to watch. She has no guarantee of ever seeing him again, and feels a real sense of loss. Sadly, meeting friends and not being able to keep them is a common life experience. But the two do see each other again, in a flash-forward that can easily evoke happy tears.
- 1143 VOTES
Space
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The Plot: Jack, Rusty, and Mackenzie are pretending to be astronauts on a space mission. Mackenzie keeps disappearing because he wants to pretend he's been left behind in space. He isn't sure why, but it turns out to be an effort to process a time in his early childhood when he thought his mother had left him behind at the playground.
The Lesson: Mackenzie's flashback - and his reaction to it - is a demonstration of how strongly childhood experiences can influence kids as they grow. Despite not having actually been abandoned, he felt like he was, so he needed to act it out through play to process those feelings. For kids, the message is about moving on from negative feelings and experiences once you understand them.
The Tears: It's rough watching a kid process trauma. Mackenzie genuinely thought his mother had left him behind. No parent wants to imagine their own child going through that - especially a parent like Mackenzie's mother who would never abandon her child.
- 1227 VOTES
Handstand
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The Plot: While her parents and friends are busy preparing for Bingo's birthday party, Bingo just wants somebody to watch her do a handstand. Everyone she asks agrees to watch, but they get distracted by other tasks and miss the moment. She's upset, but finds solace in her Nana, who gives her undivided attention.
The Lesson: The lesson is less about what anyone should do and more about the realities of life. Kids need people to pay attention to them, but adults - and other kids - can sometimes be too distracted. But if you feel like you're being ignored, you can usually still find someone else to connect with, as Bingo does with Nana.
The Tears: Even though nobody is intentionally snubbing or ignoring Bingo, it's still painful to see her repeatedly try to get attention. It's also heartwarming to see her finally getting to connect with someone at the end.
- 1350 VOTES
Flat Pack
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The Plot: Bandit and Chilli try to put together a porch swing, but they keep making mistakes and getting grouchy with each other. Meanwhile, Bluey and Bingo are delighted by all of the boxes they get to play with. They use them to pretend to be a series of animals, all of which involve a mother-daughter duo.
The Lesson: Getting frustrated over small things is understandable, but also it's much better to work together and appreciate the good things in life. This lesson is more for the parents than for the kids - Bluey and Bingo are doing just fine. However, kids can still learn from Bandit and Chilli's resolution to stop bickering and get the work done.
The Tears: If you want to cry happy tears, this is a good one to watch. When Chilli and Bandit put aside their frustration and focus on their children's imaginative play, they're moved by the everyday but also miraculous fact that they created two living beings, together. Putting together furniture is nothing in the face of something like that.
- 1420 VOTES
Bin Night
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The Plot: At night, Bluey, Bingo, and Bandit take the garbage bins out for collection. During that excursion, they talk to their neighbor Doreen, and Bandit learns more about what's going on in his kids' lives. In the morning, Chilli does the same while watching the trash be picked up. The conversation topics include a new boy at school Bingo is having trouble with, and Bluey's possible future career.
The Lesson: There are three different lessons here. First, spending time with family is invaluable, even if it involves doing something mundane. Second, it's possible to make friends with people you don't get along with at first, but you shouldn't let them be mean to you. And third, kids should be encouraged to do whatever they want in the future, whether that's being a sanitation worker or an astronaut.
The Tears: The episode centers on the parents spending quality time with their kids while doing mundane tasks. Seeing that type of meaning infused into everyday life can be tearjerking on its own, but the part that really stands out is when Bingo talks about her classmate Banjo. Although Bingo is mostly confused about Banjo calling her a “bobohead,” she's genuinely upset that he called her arms stubby. If you have a childhood history of bullying - or if your child is going through something similar - this one might sting.
- 1534 VOTES
Army
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The Plot: A new boy at Glasshouse Primary School, Jack, has trouble sitting still, remembering things, and doing what he's been asked. But when he joins Rusty's army game, he excels. By the end of the episode, the two are close friends, and Jack has a new perspective on his capabilities.
The Lesson: Jack learns that while his brain might work a little differently from other people's, that's not necessarily a bad thing. He has strengths and weaknesses and should appreciate his strengths instead of feeling down about his weaknesses.
The Tears: Depending on your circumstances, two elements of this episode might get to you. The first involves Rusty's family. His dad is in the military, which means he's separated from his family for long stretches of time, so of you're in a military family, this will hit home. The second involves Jack, who displays symptoms of ADHD. Whether you see your childhood self in him, or shades of your own child, it can bring to mind some painful experiences.
