get the tissues!
To be fair, we didn’t have to stop with 10.
It’s rare to find true family entertainment these days. It seems like TV shows and movies are usually either for kids or for adults. Enter Bluey, Australia’s greatest export and a show as loved by adults as the children it’s made for. In addition to being uproariously funny while remaining appropriate, Bluey also has the unique ability to make us cry. Like... all the time. So we’ve decided to rank the most emotional Bluey episodes that make us cry the most, because we need to give parents validation that they’re not alone in these big emotions... and, if you haven’t watched them yet, fair warning.
Why does Bluey make grown adults cry so much? The same reason it can make us laugh. It’s a show that really understands what it is to be a parent: the joys, the challenges, and the mundane, everyday things that might not seem like a big deal at the time, but when taken all together are childhood (and parenting) itself. Series composer Joff Bush told Romper earlier this year that episodes (which clock in under 10 minutes) tend to fall into two categories: episodes that lean into silliness, and episodes that “take the domestic into the sublime.”
We’ve ranked and broken down each episode by what it’s about, the plot, and the precise moment the tears that have been welling in our eyes start to fall. Proceed at your own, Kleenex-filled peril...
10
“Handstand”
Season 2, Episode 44
What it’s about: Wanting to be seen, wanting to be useful, and how we can overlook children and the elderly.
The plot: This sweet episode takes place at Bingo’s birthday party and there’s a lot going on as just about every character in the series is at the Heeler house. Amid the hubub, Bingo attempts a handstand, hoping someone will watch her while Nana looks for some way to help. Both characters are unintentionally ignored by everyone around them before they finally find one another and find the support they’ve been longing for.
Where it gets us: When a crestfallen Bingo thinks no one has seen her finally manage her new trick, Nana appears and cheerfully declares, “I saw you Bingo!”
9
“Bin Night”
Season 2, Episode 32
What it’s about: The passage of time and the seemingly trivial rituals that strengthen bonds between parents and children and allow us to see growth.
The plot: The episode takes place over the course of a month. Each “bin night,” when Bandit, Bingo, and Bluey take out the trash, and every morning after, Chilli and the girls watch the truck pick it up. Each moment is an opportunity for the parents and kids to talk — about what they did at school, about the struggles they had with new friends, about what they want to be when they grow up (it changes weekly, because kids gonna kid). Little details mark the passage of time as well: the weather grows visibly warmer, Bluey is getting better at practicing her recorder, Bingo gets a little bit taller, the moon waxes and wanes.
Where it gets us: As the episode ends, Bluey decides she’s going to be a scientist when she grows up.
“Maybe I can invent a robot that takes the bins out for you!”
“Oh,” says Bandit wistfully. “I hope not.”
8
“Bike”
Season 1 Episode 11
What it’s about: Perseverance.
The plot: This episode opens with Bluey growing frustrated as she tries to ride her bike without training wheels. “Why can’t I do it straight away?” she laments. In a moment of anger, she decides to forsake the endeavor forever. But that’s when she starts to notice some of the little kids in the park all struggling with simple tasks. By observing the younger children struggle and succeed, Bluey finds the gumption to get back on her bike.
Where it gets us: When a very Bluey rendition of Beethoven’s “Ode To Joy” swells over the ecstatic younger children as they find unique solutions to each of their problems. (All credit to series composer Joff Bush for the emotional reaction we get here.)
7
“Camping”
Season 1, Episode 43
What it’s about: Forming meaningful connections through play and the loss of childhood friends.
The plot: When Bluey goes off to play during a family camping trip, another child approaches her and asks if she’d like to play... in French. Despite the language barrier, Bluey and Jean-Luc form a sweet, meaningful friendship over the next few days. One morning, Bluey wakes to discover that Jean-Luc and his family have left, something Jean-Luc did not have the language to communicate to her. Years later, as we see a seed the two plated grow into a tree, a teenaged Bluey and Jean-Luc are reunited.
Where it gets us: This one gets us twice. First, in this bit of dialogue between Chilli and Bluey...
“Sometimes special people come into our lives, stay for a bit, and then they have to go.”
“But that’s sad.”
“It is. But the bit where they were here was happy, wasn’t it? Maybe that makes it all worth it.”
And then again when Bluey and Jean-Luc see one another again, specifically when you here someone with a French accent say “Hello, Bluey...”
6
“Rug Island”
Season 2, Episode 10
What it’s about: The carefree, magical existence of childhood and the fact that the best adults can hope for is to occasionally get a glimpse back into that world.
The plot: Work keeps Bandit from spending the day playing with Bluey and Bingo. When Mum comes in with some new felt pens, they get excited to play “Rug Island,” a game in which they create their own idyllic child society in the backyard where everything from shelter to food is made with their felt pens. As they play, Bandit is “shipwrecked” on the shore, and the girls teach him how to live in their world, which he begins to see through their eyes.
Where it gets us: Bandit falls in love with Rug Island, and when Bingo offers to let him stay forever, he’s tempted. But he knows the real world is calling. “Rug Island” isn’t for grownups; the best a grownup can do is visit. As he goes back to the house, Bingo gives him a parting gift.
“What did she give you?” Chilli asks, amused. Bandit looks down at the leaf wrapped present in his hand. It’s a single felt pen.
“Everything,” he smiles.
5
“Onesies”
Season 3, Episode 32
What it’s about: Infertility and the heartbreaking effect it can have not just on individuals but on families.
The plot: In this notorious, tearjerker episode, Chilli’s sister Brandy comes to visit after four years away. There’s a nervous awkwardness between them, especially when Brandy notices how much Bingo looks like her. As the episode goes on, Brandy grows increasingly uncomfortable, at one point telling Chilli it was a mistake to come. Through beautiful dialogue and expert visual storytelling (more on that in a minute), it becomes clear that Brandy struggles with infertility, and being around Chilli and her children is incredibly painful for her. In the end, Brandy and Chilli appear to begin mending their broken relationship by doing a dance together that they’d created as girls.
Where it gets us: When Bingo is playfully wrestling with Brandy and then suddenly runs away, leaving Brandy helplessly reaching for the child. This poignant visual is played over dialogue between Bluey and Chilli, who says “There’s something Aunt Brandy wants more than anything ... and she can’t have it, and there isn’t really anything anyone can do.”
4
“Granddad”
Season 2, Episode 29
What it’s about: Aging parents and the fleeting passage of time.
The plot: Chilli and the girls are driving to go see “Granddad,” Chilli’s father, Mort. Chilli explains he’s just had heartworm and that he needs to rest and relax. As the approach the house, Mort is seen doing intense yard work. Chilli becomes upset and demands he rest. Mort’s response? Run away with his granddaughters. Chilli is angry as she chases him through the scrub where she grew up, tracking them as they playfully attempt to evade her, seeking refuge with a neighbor named Maynard by hiding in a shed. When Chilli comes upon Maynard, she confesses that she needs Mort to take better care of himself because she still needs him in her life. Eventually Mort relents, and the episode concludes with them sitting quietly on a dock by a pond as the girls splash and play.
Where it gets us: As Mort and Chilli sit together, Chilli recalls swimming in the pond as a little girl
“That was a long time ago.”
“No,” Mort replies, wrapping an arm around her. “It was yesterday.”
The scene fades to the same image of the two on the dock, but now Chilli is a small girl.
(I’m not crying. You’re crying.)
3
“Baby Race”
Season 2, Episode 47
What it’s about: The deep insecurities new parents feel about being good enough for their babies and a child’s irrepressible love for their parents.
The plot: In a rare flashback episode, Chilli tells her girls the story of how Bluey learned to walk. Chilli, a new, first time mum, was very proud when Bluey rolled over before any of the other babies in her mom and me class. But when Bluey was slower to crawl and walk, Chilli feels anxious and sad and thinks she is failing as a parent. Insecurity keeps her from the class. Coco’s mum, Bella, comes over to give her a much needed pep talk and, eventually, little Bluey takes her first steps.
Where it gets us: Another twofer! First is Bella’s pep talk to Chilli, which concludes with her earnestly and warmly looking at the camera saying “There’s something you need to know: you’re doing great.” (OMG, you guys, she’s talking to us!)
The second is when we see Bluey taking her first steps in the kitchen.
“Why did decide to walk in the kitchen?” Bluey asks, as the scene shows her reaching for Chilli.
“Maybe,” offers Bingo, as the camera focuses on Chilli’s face between Bluey’s outstretched arms, “You just saw something you wanted.”
2
“Sleepy Time”
Season 2, Episode 9
Preface: I went back and forth as to whether this episode should take the #1 spot, and I know a lot of you are annoyed I didn’t. What can I say? Bluey is an embarrassment of weepy riches.
What it’s about: Growing up and a mother’s love.
The plot: Bingo is determined to spend the night in her own bed because she wants to be a big girl.Chilli reminds her that she’s always there if she needs her and turns out the light. When Bingo falls into a dream, and elements of her bedtime routine — from the stories she read to her stuffed bunny Floppy — are all there. Bingo explores the solar system before winding up cold, alone, and crying. Suddenly, a meteor zooms her to Mercury, where she finds herself in the warm, comforting presence of the sun. The scene cuts back to her bedroom, where Chilli can be seen cuddling with her. Back in the dream, after taking a moment to bask, Bingo turns back to Earth and heads off on her own, secure enough to be on her own.
Where it gets us: Bingo finding comfort in the sun (and the reveal that it’s because Chilli has taken time to cuddle her) is played over a beautiful variation on Gustav Holst’s “Jupiter” just as it swells with emotion. After taking the moment, she tells them sun,
“I have to go. I’m a big girl now.”
“Remember, I’ll always be here for you,” the sun says in her mother’s voice. “Even if you can’t see me. Because I love you.”
1
“Flat Pack”
Season 2, Episode 21
Preface: I’m giving this episode points for incredible, high-brow concept and glorious emotional gut punch.
What it’s about: The evolution of life on earth, children growing up, death and the afterlife, and building Ikea furniture.
The plot: After coming home from an Ikea-like furniture store, Bandit and Chilli set to the task of building a porch swing. Bingo and Bluey play with the discarded packaging, pretending to be fish, frogs, lizards, dinosaurs, birds, small mammals, monkeys, cavedogs, and, finally, members of advanced civilization. All the while, Bluey plays the role of the mom while Bingo grows older and older, from a baby to a teenager, to a grown-up. By the time the swing is built, Bluey is not pretending to be an elderly woman who bids farewell to Bingo, now grown up who is off to explore space.
Where it gets us: “Well now what am I going to do?” Bluey asks herself after Bingo heads off in her “space ship.”
“Psst,” calls Chilli from her newly assembled porch swing. “Up here.”
Bluey walks to the porch, reaching for her mother’s hand in a gesture reminiscent of God and Adam on the Sistine Chapel. As she sits nestled next to her parents, watching Bingo play at Golden Hour, Bandit sighs.
“This is heaven.”
We can’t wait to see what emotional terrorism Bluey is going to do to us in Season 4.
