Beans on Toast!
Yes, even though he’s a cartoon and a dog.
Bluey has captured our hearts over the past few years because even though the show is for children, it reflects parenting back to adult viewers in a way that makes us feel seen And, sometimes? Just a little inadequate. After all, who on Earth can compare with Bandit? Yes, he’s a cartoon dog, but he’s always so understanding and energetic and funny! In honor of Father’s Day, we’ve rounded up some of Bandit’s best moment with 10 Bluey episodes that show Bandit is the world’s best dad... even though he’s fictional... and a cartoon... and also a dog.
Series creator Joe Brumm is very aware that we’re all quietly comparing ourselves to the Heelers. “That’s quite a quite a common thing in my life now, people mentioning that they don’t have the energy or patience of Bandit,” he said in an interview with NPR. “And I think that’s fair enough. I think he rarely is fully into the idea of playing with the kids. It’s usually with a groan and, oh, man, not this game again. But the thing with Bandit is he still does it. And that’s what I found I was doing. It’s the most of my parenting life.”
But there’s a good reason we can’t match the inimitable energy of Bandit. We’re human... literally. “[Chilli and Bandit] are dogs,” Brumm added. “Dogs, probably more so than any other animal, they just love to play. And so if they ever did start walking upright and talking, I think it’s a pretty accurate representation of how much they would play with their kids.”
So there you have it. No need to feel down on yourself: you can’t help it! Still, it’s nice to have role models, and Bandit certainly is that. Here are some of his finest moments.
“The Creek”
Season 1, Episode 29
When a day at the playground grows stale, Bandit brings Bluey, Bingo, and their friend Mackenzie to the creek he used to visit when he was a child. Initially, Bluey isn’t quite sure about going off the beaten path, but Bandit’s casual confidence and sense of wonder inspires her to broaden her horizons and find beauty in the natural world as never before. (And it isn’t every dad who would get as enthusiastic about having mud smeared on his face to play “spa” as Bandit does here.)
Stream “The Creek” on Disney+.
“Trampoline”
Season 1, Episode 33
In a scene that’s familiar to working parents everywhere, Bandit is torn between having to get to work and playing just one more game with his kids. Every time he thinks he gets away he gets pulled back into the trampoline. Eventually, though, he heads out the door, but not before having a heart to heart with Bluey about the importance of play. He may need to go do his job, but her job is to come up with new games, which is just as important.
Stream “Trampoline” on Disney+.
“Copycat”
Season 1, Episode 38
In this poignant episode of Bluey (LOL, who am I kidding? They’re all poignant.) Bandit wakes up to discover that Bluey is copying his every move. They’re in the thick of this game when they discover a wounded bird and take it to the vet, only to discover that the poor little thing has died. “It’s out of our hands,” Bandit tells her... but little does he know that his forthright approach has given her something else to copy, and re-enacting the events of the day with Bingo allows her to process her feelings and come to terms with life’s inevitabilities.
“I just realized,” Bandit says at the end, “you’ve stopped copying me!”
Has she, though?
It’s not the first children’s show to broach the subject of death (RIP Mr. Hooper), but this unique and somehow playful spin on what could be a big scary subject could only be done by Bluey.
Stream “Copycat” on Disney+.
“Daddy Putdown”
Season 1, Episode 51
When Chilli attends an evening baby shower, the girls are sad to realize that their bedtime routine will be disrupted. Chilli won’t be home until after they’re asleep: Bandit is going to be the one to take on bedtime.
What makes Bandit awesome in this episode isn’t that he does it (once more, for the people in the back: guys don’t “babysit” their own children), but it’s the fact that he recognizes that for kids, having a routine disrupted can be tough and he’s there to help them with their feelings and make sure that the evening is still fun and special.
Stream “Daddy Putdown” on Disney+.
“Dance Mode”
Season 2, Episode 3
Throughout the day, Bingo has the power of “Dance Mode.” With a touch to the tail, she can make any member of her family dance in public for no reason... but things don’t go exactly to plan.
While the message of this episode is all about helping naturally compliant and agreeable children find their voice more than anything (and, credit where credit’s due: Chilli is really the one to crack the case), there’s something very sweet and Bandit-y about him making a fool of himself in public to make his children happy, and prefacing that by shouting “Ladies and gentlemen: I’m doing this for my kid!”
Stream “Dance Mode” on Disney+.
“Daddy Dropoff”
Season 2, Episode 8
When Bandit is in charge of school drop off, the girls respond by turning everything about this novel situation into a game... which Bandit, despite knowing they’re going to be late, obliges. He’s rushed, he’s clearly stressed, but he visibly lightens up when he takes the time to make things just a little bit more fun.
“Dad, if we didn’t play, would we still be late?” Bluey asks after Bingo is dropped off.
“Well... probably not as late,” Bandit concedes, before ultimately concluding “It wouldn’t be as fun though.”
It’s some A+ dadding and a good reminder for those of us who also feel stressed during the morning routine.
Stream “Daddy Dropoff” on Disney+.
“Rug Island”
Season 2, Episode 10
In this episode, Bandit has to go to work, but makes a quick detour to “Rug Island,” a space in the yard that the girls have set up as their own personal paradise. With a new pack of felt pens, they’re able to construct everything they need with the power of their imaginations. Bandit is able to observe the world through their eyes, and even though he eventually has to go back “home” and off to work, he heads off with a felt pen of his own, which he realizes is (or can be) “everything.” That willingness to really learn from his children is such a huge part of what makes Bandit the best dad.
In an interview with Romper, series composer Joff Bush highlighted what he loved about this episode. “I love that idea that you can visit the kids’ world, but you'll never actually be part of it,” he said. “You have to go to work, you have to do all these things. That is something that I always treasured teaching piano, because you could visit that joy that they had, but in the end, you still have to teach them something. That was always my favorite thing when I was a teacher: was seeing the joy and the wonder of the world through kids’ eyes.”
Stream “Rug Island” on Disney+.
“Duck Cake”
Season 2, Episode 43
Why is that kids always casually want the absolute most of us? In this episode, Bingo chooses a Duck Cake for her birthday party, “the hardest of all cakes,” but Bandit is determined to work to get her what she wants. I feel like we’ve all been there at some point. Maybe it wasn’t a cake. Maybe it was the Halloween costume your kid decided they wanted on Oct. 30. Or maybe it was a “princess room” they wanted done and you rolled up your sleeves and started working on a castle mural. That heartfelt generosity (which is what the episode is ultimately about) and wholehearted effort is just so pure, even when the results are far from perfect.
Stream “Duck Cake” on Disney+.
“Burger Shop”
Season 2, Episode 50
Like many of us, Bandit is always trying to up his parenting game, and when he reads a new book about letting kids make all their own choices, he tries to put the technique to use. Ultimately, however, he comes to the conclusion that, sometimes, parents have to be the one to make the decisions... something Chilli could have (and did) told him from the beginning.
But what we love to see here is the recognition that parenting is a process: there’s always something to learn, and our “great ideas” won’t always pan out. But the willingness to say “OK, maybe someone else has a better idea about this than I do” is such an important parenting lesson for all of us.
Stream “Burger Shop” on Disney+.
“Chest”
Season 3, Episode 10
When Bandit is determined to teach Bluey chess, Chilli is confused. Isn’t 6 years old a little young to learn such a complicated game? “Smart people play chess,” Bandit replies, and hunkers down to teach his daughter the rules... it doesn’t go very well. Bluey is much more interested in using the pieces to play imagination games, much to Bandit’s increasing frustration. It isn’t long before Chilli figures out why: he wants to teach them the skills he thinks they’re going to need when they’re grown up and he won’t be there to guide and protect them all the time. As in chess, Bandit is thinking multiple moves ahead...
“Because he’s a good king,” Chilli concludes.
Heck yes he is.
Stream “Chest” on Disney+.
Just remember: you’re never going to live up to either a cartoon or a dog, much less a cartoon dog, but maybe Bandit’s can-do attitude and cheerful disposition can inspire us all to be the best version of ourselves possible.
