(Note: Spoilers ahead)
“There’s a new episode of Bluey!”
In my home, that sentence is like a siren call. No matter where they are or what they’re doing, all four of my kids (ages 23, 21, 9, and 7, BTW) will gather in the family room to watch the episode.
I think the kids secretly take bets to see not if, but how soon, Mom will cry during the episode. Truth be told, they’re always right, and it tends to happen a minute or two before the end of the episode.
Because with Bluey, you’re either going to laugh or cry — there literally is no in-between.
“The Sign,” is the much-awaited Bluey episode everyone was waiting for. At a staggering 28 minutes, it is the longest Bluey episode to date, and perhaps one of the most moving. After Bandit gets a job that requires the family to move, a For Sale (get it?) sign is put in their front yard which greatly upsets Bluey, who does not want to move. She even tries removing the sign on her own. Sharing her sentiments is mom Chilli, who is equally as reluctant to leave the home where her pups were raised.
But Chilli is distracted with matrimonial matters, since Frisky has disappeared upon learning that fiancé Radley wants to move away from town, too. As Chilli, Bluey, and Bingo search for the runaway bride, they share their feelings about the impending move, with Bluey sad at leaving her friends, and Chilli facing down the decision of doing what might be best for the family but still trying to be a positive role model for her daughter.
Fast forward to Frisky and Radley’s wedding (and sob, Aunt Brandy being pregnant), “The Sign” has so many teachable moments that you can’t even comprehend your own emotional rollercoaster. Case in point: when Bandit asks, “Am I making a mistake?” Chilli replies, “Probably. But let’s make it together.”
Cue the waterworks.
At the end of the episode, everyone is coming to terms with very big and real emotions. There’s the feeling of grief at having to leave a place you’ve come to love, the understanding that life is all about change, and being courageous enough to be curious about the future. And just when you think you’ve cried enough, along comes the moment when Bandit rips the Sold sign out of the ground, to the shock and delight of his darling daughters and wife.
Will it mean that the family can continue staying in the place that they love? Absolutely. Is Bandit giving up on his dream? Maybe. But if the Heeler family is making a mistake, they’re making it together.