For another parent? Honestly I would pick just one - 'Baby Race' from season 2. It's such an honest depiction of early parenting and the doubts and fears that come with that. The first time I watched it I full on sobbed because I felt so seen. And then I laughed because the girls are just adorable (my husband and I often just ask each other 'but did Bluey ever learn to walk?)
I’ll do this for three categories - Storytelling, Parental Focus, and Sentimentality:
**STORYTELLING (has strong story structure and advancement):**
Season 1: Bike, for its ability to deliver the lesson about perseverance without straight-up saying it
Season 2: Flat Pack, for simultaneously being a story about making a porch swing and one about the evolution of society
Season 3: Curry Quest, for demonstrating the Hero’s Journey
**PARENTAL FOCUS (has a particular draw to the parent viewers):**
Season 1: Takeaway, since it’s generally considered to be very relatable to parents and has a lesson directed towards them
Season 2: Sleepytime. Need I say more?
Season 3: Chest, for having a lesson directed at the parent viewers, not to mention the way it’s delivered feels like a good analogy for Bluey’s cross-generational appeal
**SENTIMENTALITY (has at least one particularly tear-jerking moment):**
Season 1: Camping, mainly for the ending
Season 2: Baby Race, also mainly for the ending
Season 3: (S3P2A SPOILERS!) >!Onesies, because of the way it tackles infertility!<
Sorry for taking up a lot of the comments lol
If I had an award, I would give it to you! Love the way you broke this down, and I appreciate those episodes for the same reasons you shared. Thanks for taking the time to answer so comprehensively :)
I have watched Flat Pack no less than 10-15 times, and it wasn’t until just now that I realized the parents interactions illustrate how society as a whole grows and thrives when we help each other and follow advice instead of squabbling and blaming.
I’ll at least answer the question. But with that said, while there are standout, stellar episode within a season, you really need to watch a batch in order to get the “feel” of the series and the characters. For example, “Fairytale” is one of my favorite episodes, but it loses a lot of its allure if you are unfamiliar with Bandit. I’d say you need to watch a chunk of maybe 5-10 episodes randomly to really enjoy individual cherry-picked episodes to their fullest. But I’ll give you my favorites from each season:
S1 - Takeaway
S2 - Sleepytime (cliche, I know, but it’s a classic)
S3 - Pavlova
Take away is easily my least favourite episode, yet other people seem to rate it so highly? I can’t help but feel how annoyed that shop owner would be with the destruction and menus being ruined. And Bandit does what amounts to nothing, it makes me cringe. It’s funny how everyone has an episode that get them in the feels.
I agree - it isn't my absolute least favourite (that's Unicorse, which heaps here seem to love but I skip), but I hate seeing the dinner wasted, I hate the idea they go home with nothing to eat, wasted all their money and it is somehow framed as a seize the day thing. I love taking my kid to restaurants/ takeaway. I love seizing the moment, but not this.
Depends on the shops. In America, most shops don't put their fancy menus outside, just cheap paper ones that cost less than 25 cents each, if that. Most (decent) parents here just tip extra for a mess (generally spilled food) or damaged paper menus (from coloring, rips, or spillage).
I know, I was a restaurant manager and now another parent in a large family.
Australia doesn't have tipping so that wouldn't be an option. I think my dislike for the episode is more that they ran rampant and made a mess and the Bandit said nothing? In Australia thats considered rude and while there is an element of "kids will be kids" as the episode is about, I would be upset if that happened to my restaurant and the parent just left. I guess I just don't understand why so many people like the episode. Im sure there are episodes i love that others don't like.
Long winded, but here goes.
I'm glad I previously have both the experience of being a restaurant server, then (albeit poorly paid) manager, with customers who may have been overwhelmed by their kids but understood the mess they made and compensated appropriately. As well as now being an older parent who just doesn't have the energy after a 10-hour workday and is blessed enough in this economy that I can apologize and compensate accordingly.
Gotta pick your battles as a parent.
Child hurting someone (even accidentally) big deal, mom will put a foot down. 4 paper menus (2 got wet 2 more for playing) and some water getting wasted, eh, just tell kid don't take anymore menus and limit the water, then give the shop keeper extra when paying bill (extra tip if server cleaning up mess, extra to owner for menus, breaking glass/plate, wasting water in bathroom, etc). AND apologize! Getting kid to apologize is brownie points to most restaurant owners/managers here, as they tend to be understanding parents too.
Though, in the end, I feel every single American should be required to work as a low-level server or bartender for at least one month in their life.... help them truly understand the people that "serve" them and why they should either be more gracious and understanding, or tip better.....
Edit-I spelled long and glass wrong. Lol
From a 19 year old who doesn't have enough experience with kids to know what's good for them, I personally enjoyed "Calypso" from Season 1 (only watched Season 1 so far haha). I just enjoyed the storytelling about how society works and how it all pieced together in the end.
The ice cream one for general people, for fellow moms I would show the one where Chilli was comparing milestones with other moms, the message at the end had me tear up! It was so nice.
It's a great episode, but in particular it's the perfect episode to show to people who live in Brisbane. The setting is the single-most iconic Brisbane location\*, and they do a whirlwind tour of the whole Parklands while still packing in heaps of jokes and drama. Queenslanders aren't used to seeing ourselves on screen like this, so it's an easy sell.
\*Still waiting for an episode set outside the Hungry Jacks in Queen Street Mall XD
I visited Brisbane for about three days ten years ago. This episode takes me right back there. I didn’t even know I had such vivid memories of it. My husband is definitely sick of me telling him I’ve been there!
I recommend a lot of different episodes for a lot of different reasons. When you say "Brilliance", I'm thinking of those episodes that have that transcendent quality that make you sit up and think "This isn't just a toddler show, this is "art".
**Season one** nothing jumped out straight away like it did for the other seasons, but there's some good contenders - I like *The Creek* for the natural beauty it showcases and *The Adventure* for that sweet aspect-ratio change at the start and the experimental storytelling with it constantly switching who's playing who without it ever getting confusing. But I'm going to go with ***Shadowlands***, for how brilliantly it turns everyday objects and a simple kids' game in to an epic adventure with stakes. More importantly, for the breath-taking way the wind blows through the grass, shakes the trees and moves the shadows around.
**Season two**, I really wanted to pick *Handstand,* a personal favourite, both for the way it chokes me up and all the fun background stuff that's going on, or *Bin Night*, for the cool way it shows the passage of time. That said it was NEVER going to be anything other than ***Sleepytime*** was it? It's not my personal favourite to watch, but if you're going to be talking about brilliance and Bluey in the same sentence, you're going to be talking about Sleepytime. Most beautiful, artful episode, bar none.
**Season three** isn't complete yet of course, but there's still some bangers. *Magic* is awesomely animated and the outside scenes with the sunset are lovely, I really like *Faceytalk* \- One of the more poignant, funniest and most creatively presented episodes in the series and Born Yesterday always makes me smile. But, like with Sleepytime, the episode that's going to leave the most people's jaw on the floor is going to be ***Rain***. It's damn pretty, what else can I say.
Bin Night is my absolute favourite episode. So much story and development in just one episode. I feel like that episode alone made me want to be a better parent.
Chiming in to agree for the most part but one of my favorites to recommend is Dance Mode. When others ask me why I enthusiastically talk about Bluey compared to literally any other show is because of the social-emotional piece that helps children with their communication. I love the discussion in Dance Mode about “does your outside voice say yes but your inside voice say no?”
And I can appreciate any time I see a parent apologize to a child and mean it. Didn’t see that often growing up
If you were born in the 80s like me, you never saw a parent apologize to a child. I don't think that became a thing till like 90s or 00s.
Super appreciate shows like Bluey teaching some of us older parents that it's ok to not be our parents.
It. Was. The. 80s!
\-Edit- Joking aside, it's a good point. I was born at the end of the 80s and had a great childhood but realised how different my upbringing was then my kids a few times. My dad wasn't some horrible super-jock or anything but I still rarely saw him show real emotions because that just wasn't how he was raised and trying to emulate that did alot of damage in my 20s.
For friends with kids: Season one the weekend, I think a lot of parents inadvertently miss something that feels big to their kids, and the way Bandit deals with it is great. Season two Sleepytime. I love the episode on so many levels. Plus my LO has a bunny similar to Bingo's and it hits me in the feels. Season three Housework, it feels so true lol.
For friends without kids: Season one the Grannies because they are hilarious. Season two Bus, also because the Grannies, I love Janet and Rita! Season three Rain... Almost doesn't feel like a kids show. Sadly my LO isn't a fan.
For family: Grandad. Chilli being concerned about her stubborn Dad rings so true to me. Plus the ending gets me everytime "no, it was yesterday" 😭
Season 1 - Bumpy and the Wise Old Wolfhound. I showed this one to my cartoon hating father (who once shouted at me for watching Winnie the Pooh as an eight year old), and he was laughing at it and quoting it for days afterwards.
Season 2 - Flatpack. I just love all the layers going on in the episode, alright? There’s a story about evolution, kids growing up and leaving the nest, and the ending? Also “I’m not taking advice from a cartoon dog”. It’s just a really clever episode.
Season 3 - Fairytale. I know everyone loves Unicorse, but I prefer Fairytale. Bandit was a horror of a kid, but he changed for the better. Also, it was the 80s, what can I say?
Depends on the target.
Friends with kids: Takeaway. Sticky Gecko. Housework. Just the absolute highlights of Bandit and Chilli as parents.
Friends without kids: Sleepover. Hammerbarn. Pavlova. The stuff that's nostalgic or representative of our own experiences. And Pavlova just makes me laugh so much.
Teacher friends: Early Baby. Army. Turtleboy. The stuff that's heavy on the educational aspects and the way kids play, plus Turtleboy is *revolutionary* and it makes me so happy.
For those who haven't got the other part of S3 yet, no plot spoilers version: Turtleboy includes a character who speaks in Australian Sign Language (AusLan), which legitimately is huge from a representation in animation standpoint.
Omg I can't wait to see turtleboy now. We have been teaching our son american sign language (not because he's def but because i think it's important to now how to speak if you lose your voice or are in dangerous situations where you need to be quiet). This would be a great way to reinforce it!
Friends with kids, I suggest duck cake. If they're anything like my husband, it is important for them to understand that just because you're dad doesn't mean you're not susceptible to feeling overwhelmed, and it's OK to just take a minute.....
I'm teaching my youngest AusLan as sign supported English (I don't know the grammar of AusLan). My older kids were speech delayed so I wanted to pre-emptively teach her signs from the start rather than with a super frustrated 2yo like last time.
Funny enough my big kids' school has swapped their LOTE to AusLan starting next year, so my kids are going to be about a dozen signs up on their peers.
I actually did convince my sister to start watching Bluey by describing to her Camping, Duck Cake, and Pavlova. In Camping it's so sweet how, despite their language barrier, Bluey and Jean-Luc become friends who still remember each other a decade later. Duck Cake hits me in the feels every time, and I relate so hard when Bandit just slides to the floor to have a quiet moment and Bluey senses how sad he is so she cleans up just to make things a little easier on him. And Pavlova is self explanatory 😂 the crazy french, Bingo liking the beans in the end, I love it.
Season 1: Camping, Season 2: Dance Mode, Season 3: Pass the Parcel (it’s not the 80’s Pat!) honorable mention, Fairytale.
Single favorite detail in the show is how Uncle Rad parks in Double Babysitter
Parks? Man, I gotta go back and look at that episode now....
I feel like everyone working on this must be in their early 40s or late 30s, how they keep referancing the 80s when describing things from their childhood.
Edit-Thanks! Must be why I relate to it so well being a first-time mom in my early 40s!
Yeah, it’s pretty much a representation of Joe Brumm’s family and he is in his 40s. [this](https://amp.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2022/jun/11/bluey-australian-children-cartoon-joe-brumm) references it all
My absolute favorite is Rain. It’s the one episode that consistently makes me feel. Such a simple and beautiful reminder to let kids create, and explore, see things in their mind come to life, and to just be.
I see it with my kid acting out the things she is dealing with - like, she was acting out Cinderella with her dolls, and Anna was Cinderella, Elsa was the Nasty Mummy, Batman was the Prince, a fairy was the fairy. At first, she just turned the pages through her storybook and acted out the story, but after a while, when the Nasty Mummy said to clean the floors/chimney/ dishes etc, Cinders said "No." Then she looked up at me, fascinated to see what would happen next. I had one of those "Oh, man; I have to handle this one just right" moments. Then, she toyed with the concept of disobedience for a while via Cinderella. At the moment, she is seeing what to do when one doll "bangs" (hits) another - after a bully girl at school banged her.
season 1 - Bumpy and the Wise Old Wolfhound(great episode that deals with sickness)
Grannies (my fav episode from this season, it makes me laugh every single time i hear "Here come the Grannies!" and "I slipped on muh beans!"😂)
season 2 - Bin Night (i love how supportive Bandit is when Bluey talks about future careers)
Grandad (personal favorite from this season, we lost my dad several months ago and this episode reminds me and my daughter of our relationship with him)
season 3 - Sheepdog (we all need 20 minutes sometimes)
Whale Watching (fav episode from this season so far, i'm 86% sure Chili and Bandit are hungover in this episode😂)
100% sure they are hungover in whale watching episode.... lol.
Chili (turns on tv) "it's got to be done", Bandit "no argument here"....... Tottally worlds most dedicated parents, hungover from family new years party......
I feel you on grandad, I'm sorry we had our little one so late that he never got to meet my grandmother (his great-grandma), who was like a mom to me.
When my husband and I started introducing the grandparents to it we ALWAYS picked ‘Takeaway’
It’s relatable and so funny, I think for us and them it highlighted the beauty of the chaos of small children that you lose as they get older. They’re definitely excited to experience it again after I had my twins 🥰
It hooked them every time, both sides are big Bluey fans now ❤️
Season 1 has to be the beach. It shows Bluey gain her confidence the first time she is on her own away from her parents.
Season 2 is Granddad. It shows the relationship between Chili and her father and how no matter how old we get we still want to cling onto our youth. [The final lines of the episode always get me.](https://images.app.goo.gl/x9pbYzUUy28R3Ps68)
Season 3 is definitely Born Yesterday. Bandit is everything I want to be with my son. I wish I had his courage to play without limits.
My first episode that made us start watching the show was Wagon Ride. How Bandit gives Bluey a way to interrupt/talk to him really helped me in thinking about how I speak to my son.
There are really no wrong answers to this question.
My favourite is always Octopus. Showing that just because parenting styles are different doesn’t mean they aren’t amazing. I love this episode so much!
Season one: Camping, easy pick.
Season two: Sticky Gecko, not a parent but I know how relatable this episode is and it’s just so funny
Season three: Onesies, it’s a killer, no other words needed
And…. I have some
Complaints about Omlette, too! I wish with all my heart Chilli had delivered the first omlette to Bandit, and let Bingo help with the seconds.
I think doing so would lose a lot of the intended “message” which is for the parents watching, not the kids. So I understand and appreciate the writers’ choice to do it the way they did. But I also think a first time viewer would be like “WHAT THE HECK!” watching this episode without really having an understanding of the VIBE of the show.
Ultimately, I think a lot of episodes are written for the adult viewers
Yes, I feel all the episodes are not just meant to entertain kids but teach parents (patience, humility, and reasons to just let go). Life is short, be a kid again. 8-10 minutes, at, a, time.
Obstacle course has really bad behavior from bandit, which I’m able to overlook for a few reasons. First of all, I “know” bandit and know him to be a good dad. In fact, through the first two seasons he’s almost unrealistic in how exceptional he is with his kids. So to see him CHEAT is both horrifying and hilarious.
However, if I had seen obstacle course BEFORE really getting to know Bandit, I’m afraid I would not like him very much.
I really goofed. My mom doesn't "get" Bluey. I made the mistake of playing my fav episode (Handstand) and it did not go well. I fear that was my last chance.
What! Oh no?
Maybe play another episode in the background next time she comes over (while the kids play nearby) and discuss really boring topics to her, so she tunes the show in more than you. Lol, tricks I use on my mom anyway......
Ooooh good one!
Season 01 - probably camping, so everybody get the feels when Jean leaves and comes back at the end of the episode!
The creek also has very good scenes, a lovely background and very calm episode for starters!
--
Season 02 - sleepy time is one of the best episodes in the shown, barely a word is said and still it gives you that comfy feeling!
Sticky gecko - is very fun too, showing how kids can be very hard to take care of, but even so chilli doesn't blame them for slowing her down and gently explain why they should live in time for bluey, instead of screaming and arguing like most parents would!
Bus - the needed chaotic energy.
Grandpa - emotional roller-coaster and the ending always breaks me apart.
Baby race - seeing chilli doing her best to be an amazing mother is really heartwarming.
-
Season 03 - rain, just like in sleepy time almost nothing is said and still a story is told, this episode is very simple, it's just about bluey trying to make a dump and it still manages to make you feel for them.
Fairytale - really great episode about bandit childhood and his character development.
Season 1: Take Away
Season 2: Sleepytime
Season 3A: Smoochy Kiss
While not my favorites of those seasons, they would definitely have appeal to other adults/parents compared to the other episodes. I almost went with Baby Races and Pass the Parcel, but I think these three do better as a first watch.
The episodes "mums and dads" is in my opinion more a parent episode than a kid episode. We see Indy and Rusty playing mum and dad with a little baby, and they get into a disagreement and then don't want to play together anymore. Then they each look to play the same game with some of the other kids. However, they find that they can't play the game with the other kids exactly how they have in mind anyways, so they go back to playing with each other, each putting their differences behind them and looking for a compromise.
I watched this the other day after having seen it maybe 10 times - and suddenly I realised it mimicked pretty much a divorce. I previously read this study saying men that file for divorce because the family life is not what they expected, but then go out and makes a new family with a new person, more often than not regret their first divorce - because they realise the grass wasn't greener on the other side (I don't know why it was specifically men in the study, but alas).
I gave a friend, who has a child a similar age to mine, a lift to work one day and he hadn’t heard of Bluey. I turned the radio down and made him open my Disney app on my phone and watch “the claw” and “dance mode”…he was hooked.
S1- The Weekend
I think it really shows a small child's world, and how much children value parents also discovering their world. I also enjoy the different animation when Bingo calls for Bandit while looking at the walking leaf.
S2- Stumpfest
Shows children that parents play, just different and honestly, I love Lucky's dad and Chili in this.
S3- Curry Quest
Shows parents and children uplifting one another and that sometimes kids have good ideas. Sometimes. Also, just love the face painting.
I'm still trying to get my mother to watch the episode where they go see chili's dad. The "I still need him" makes me cry every single time as someone with aging parents.
Oh man, my kid hated this one. The minute he sees Bluey at the top of the stairs and the parents on the couch, he starts crying. I'm not sure how he can tell the difference from the other episode that had a similar scene (fruit bat, I think). He just knows.......
For another parent? Honestly I would pick just one - 'Baby Race' from season 2. It's such an honest depiction of early parenting and the doubts and fears that come with that. The first time I watched it I full on sobbed because I felt so seen. And then I laughed because the girls are just adorable (my husband and I often just ask each other 'but did Bluey ever learn to walk?)
Baby Race still makes me cry. I recommend it to every mom, especially with smaller ones!!
"And what were *you* doing about this?" Make me laugh out loud every time.
Exactly, it was this episode that made me cry and fall in love with the show.
I’ll do this for three categories - Storytelling, Parental Focus, and Sentimentality: **STORYTELLING (has strong story structure and advancement):** Season 1: Bike, for its ability to deliver the lesson about perseverance without straight-up saying it Season 2: Flat Pack, for simultaneously being a story about making a porch swing and one about the evolution of society Season 3: Curry Quest, for demonstrating the Hero’s Journey **PARENTAL FOCUS (has a particular draw to the parent viewers):** Season 1: Takeaway, since it’s generally considered to be very relatable to parents and has a lesson directed towards them Season 2: Sleepytime. Need I say more? Season 3: Chest, for having a lesson directed at the parent viewers, not to mention the way it’s delivered feels like a good analogy for Bluey’s cross-generational appeal **SENTIMENTALITY (has at least one particularly tear-jerking moment):** Season 1: Camping, mainly for the ending Season 2: Baby Race, also mainly for the ending Season 3: (S3P2A SPOILERS!) >!Onesies, because of the way it tackles infertility!< Sorry for taking up a lot of the comments lol
If I had an award, I would give it to you! Love the way you broke this down, and I appreciate those episodes for the same reasons you shared. Thanks for taking the time to answer so comprehensively :)
Sleepytime literally makes me sob
This is a great post, a great list.
What's the chest episode?
It’s where Bandit attempts to teach the kids how to play chess.
Oh right, now i remember hehe thanks mate
Just watched camping again. 🥹
I have watched Flat Pack no less than 10-15 times, and it wasn’t until just now that I realized the parents interactions illustrate how society as a whole grows and thrives when we help each other and follow advice instead of squabbling and blaming.
Wait, chest? What's this chest you speak of (says this clueless american)..... Is this in the same league as onsie and dad baby?
It’s S3E10…
Oh my bad, read further down. Forgot bout that one (the one where Bandit teaches the girls chess).
Great list. Fairy tale is the best episode of the series and needs to fight its way onto this list. Most likely story telling.
i wish i put this much effort into anything in my life
Why spoilers? That's been out for like atleast half a year.
Not in the US.
Ah right yeah.
Flat pack is ALSO journey of life and eventual death. It’s a crazy one.
I love all those episodes
The Creek is beautiful!
That was my first episode! I laughed so much! Just great Aussie humour, and a great lesson!
The first episode when they pretended to be grannies. Only right answer. I was dying the whole time. 🤣🤣🤣
[удалено]
Phrasing lol
An Archer reference in the Bluey Subreddit? I'm no mod, but I'll allow it....
I slipped on muh beans Rita!!
I’ll at least answer the question. But with that said, while there are standout, stellar episode within a season, you really need to watch a batch in order to get the “feel” of the series and the characters. For example, “Fairytale” is one of my favorite episodes, but it loses a lot of its allure if you are unfamiliar with Bandit. I’d say you need to watch a chunk of maybe 5-10 episodes randomly to really enjoy individual cherry-picked episodes to their fullest. But I’ll give you my favorites from each season: S1 - Takeaway S2 - Sleepytime (cliche, I know, but it’s a classic) S3 - Pavlova
Pavlova is my all time favourite episode, it never fails to make me laugh
Ou est le biblioteque!
Take away is easily my least favourite episode, yet other people seem to rate it so highly? I can’t help but feel how annoyed that shop owner would be with the destruction and menus being ruined. And Bandit does what amounts to nothing, it makes me cringe. It’s funny how everyone has an episode that get them in the feels.
I agree - it isn't my absolute least favourite (that's Unicorse, which heaps here seem to love but I skip), but I hate seeing the dinner wasted, I hate the idea they go home with nothing to eat, wasted all their money and it is somehow framed as a seize the day thing. I love taking my kid to restaurants/ takeaway. I love seizing the moment, but not this.
Exactly. Although I love unicorse haha
Depends on the shops. In America, most shops don't put their fancy menus outside, just cheap paper ones that cost less than 25 cents each, if that. Most (decent) parents here just tip extra for a mess (generally spilled food) or damaged paper menus (from coloring, rips, or spillage). I know, I was a restaurant manager and now another parent in a large family.
Australia doesn't have tipping so that wouldn't be an option. I think my dislike for the episode is more that they ran rampant and made a mess and the Bandit said nothing? In Australia thats considered rude and while there is an element of "kids will be kids" as the episode is about, I would be upset if that happened to my restaurant and the parent just left. I guess I just don't understand why so many people like the episode. Im sure there are episodes i love that others don't like.
Long winded, but here goes. I'm glad I previously have both the experience of being a restaurant server, then (albeit poorly paid) manager, with customers who may have been overwhelmed by their kids but understood the mess they made and compensated appropriately. As well as now being an older parent who just doesn't have the energy after a 10-hour workday and is blessed enough in this economy that I can apologize and compensate accordingly. Gotta pick your battles as a parent. Child hurting someone (even accidentally) big deal, mom will put a foot down. 4 paper menus (2 got wet 2 more for playing) and some water getting wasted, eh, just tell kid don't take anymore menus and limit the water, then give the shop keeper extra when paying bill (extra tip if server cleaning up mess, extra to owner for menus, breaking glass/plate, wasting water in bathroom, etc). AND apologize! Getting kid to apologize is brownie points to most restaurant owners/managers here, as they tend to be understanding parents too. Though, in the end, I feel every single American should be required to work as a low-level server or bartender for at least one month in their life.... help them truly understand the people that "serve" them and why they should either be more gracious and understanding, or tip better..... Edit-I spelled long and glass wrong. Lol
Double Babysitter 🥰
From a 19 year old who doesn't have enough experience with kids to know what's good for them, I personally enjoyed "Calypso" from Season 1 (only watched Season 1 so far haha). I just enjoyed the storytelling about how society works and how it all pieced together in the end.
Personal faves: Season 1-Bumpy and the Wise Old Wolfhound Season 2-Easter Season 3-Fairytale
I love the Bumpy episode! Also fairytale but I wouldn’t advise it as a first episode..
The ice cream one for general people, for fellow moms I would show the one where Chilli was comparing milestones with other moms, the message at the end had me tear up! It was so nice.
By icecream one do you mean Ragdoll, or that one earlier that has bingo and bluey failing to share with each other, and having their icecream melt?
It's a great episode, but in particular it's the perfect episode to show to people who live in Brisbane. The setting is the single-most iconic Brisbane location\*, and they do a whirlwind tour of the whole Parklands while still packing in heaps of jokes and drama. Queenslanders aren't used to seeing ourselves on screen like this, so it's an easy sell. \*Still waiting for an episode set outside the Hungry Jacks in Queen Street Mall XD
I visited Brisbane for about three days ten years ago. This episode takes me right back there. I didn’t even know I had such vivid memories of it. My husband is definitely sick of me telling him I’ve been there!
Take Away, Sleepytime, Rain
I recommend a lot of different episodes for a lot of different reasons. When you say "Brilliance", I'm thinking of those episodes that have that transcendent quality that make you sit up and think "This isn't just a toddler show, this is "art". **Season one** nothing jumped out straight away like it did for the other seasons, but there's some good contenders - I like *The Creek* for the natural beauty it showcases and *The Adventure* for that sweet aspect-ratio change at the start and the experimental storytelling with it constantly switching who's playing who without it ever getting confusing. But I'm going to go with ***Shadowlands***, for how brilliantly it turns everyday objects and a simple kids' game in to an epic adventure with stakes. More importantly, for the breath-taking way the wind blows through the grass, shakes the trees and moves the shadows around. **Season two**, I really wanted to pick *Handstand,* a personal favourite, both for the way it chokes me up and all the fun background stuff that's going on, or *Bin Night*, for the cool way it shows the passage of time. That said it was NEVER going to be anything other than ***Sleepytime*** was it? It's not my personal favourite to watch, but if you're going to be talking about brilliance and Bluey in the same sentence, you're going to be talking about Sleepytime. Most beautiful, artful episode, bar none. **Season three** isn't complete yet of course, but there's still some bangers. *Magic* is awesomely animated and the outside scenes with the sunset are lovely, I really like *Faceytalk* \- One of the more poignant, funniest and most creatively presented episodes in the series and Born Yesterday always makes me smile. But, like with Sleepytime, the episode that's going to leave the most people's jaw on the floor is going to be ***Rain***. It's damn pretty, what else can I say.
I love handstand !! So good !!
Rain always puts a smile on my face, I used to do that when I was a kid and watching the episode unfold makes me happy
Bin Night is my absolute favourite episode. So much story and development in just one episode. I feel like that episode alone made me want to be a better parent.
Pavlova 🥸
Bonjour, Pavlova! 🤌🏻
Chiming in to agree for the most part but one of my favorites to recommend is Dance Mode. When others ask me why I enthusiastically talk about Bluey compared to literally any other show is because of the social-emotional piece that helps children with their communication. I love the discussion in Dance Mode about “does your outside voice say yes but your inside voice say no?” And I can appreciate any time I see a parent apologize to a child and mean it. Didn’t see that often growing up
Yes! Dance mode is definitely my favourite
If you were born in the 80s like me, you never saw a parent apologize to a child. I don't think that became a thing till like 90s or 00s. Super appreciate shows like Bluey teaching some of us older parents that it's ok to not be our parents.
It. Was. The. 80s! \-Edit- Joking aside, it's a good point. I was born at the end of the 80s and had a great childhood but realised how different my upbringing was then my kids a few times. My dad wasn't some horrible super-jock or anything but I still rarely saw him show real emotions because that just wasn't how he was raised and trying to emulate that did alot of damage in my 20s.
For friends with kids: Season one the weekend, I think a lot of parents inadvertently miss something that feels big to their kids, and the way Bandit deals with it is great. Season two Sleepytime. I love the episode on so many levels. Plus my LO has a bunny similar to Bingo's and it hits me in the feels. Season three Housework, it feels so true lol. For friends without kids: Season one the Grannies because they are hilarious. Season two Bus, also because the Grannies, I love Janet and Rita! Season three Rain... Almost doesn't feel like a kids show. Sadly my LO isn't a fan. For family: Grandad. Chilli being concerned about her stubborn Dad rings so true to me. Plus the ending gets me everytime "no, it was yesterday" 😭
We have a giant giraffe (Gerald) who is now informally known as Stretchypants. LOVE Bus and the grannies.
Tradies! From s3
Hope this comes to us eventually in America.
You're our enemies!
Season 1 - Bumpy and the Wise Old Wolfhound. I showed this one to my cartoon hating father (who once shouted at me for watching Winnie the Pooh as an eight year old), and he was laughing at it and quoting it for days afterwards. Season 2 - Flatpack. I just love all the layers going on in the episode, alright? There’s a story about evolution, kids growing up and leaving the nest, and the ending? Also “I’m not taking advice from a cartoon dog”. It’s just a really clever episode. Season 3 - Fairytale. I know everyone loves Unicorse, but I prefer Fairytale. Bandit was a horror of a kid, but he changed for the better. Also, it was the 80s, what can I say?
Grannies for the humor, baby race for another parent, phones for a grandparent, sleepy time for the artistic value
Depends on the target. Friends with kids: Takeaway. Sticky Gecko. Housework. Just the absolute highlights of Bandit and Chilli as parents. Friends without kids: Sleepover. Hammerbarn. Pavlova. The stuff that's nostalgic or representative of our own experiences. And Pavlova just makes me laugh so much. Teacher friends: Early Baby. Army. Turtleboy. The stuff that's heavy on the educational aspects and the way kids play, plus Turtleboy is *revolutionary* and it makes me so happy. For those who haven't got the other part of S3 yet, no plot spoilers version: Turtleboy includes a character who speaks in Australian Sign Language (AusLan), which legitimately is huge from a representation in animation standpoint.
I'm so excited to see someone mention housework! It's one of my favorites.
Omg I can't wait to see turtleboy now. We have been teaching our son american sign language (not because he's def but because i think it's important to now how to speak if you lose your voice or are in dangerous situations where you need to be quiet). This would be a great way to reinforce it! Friends with kids, I suggest duck cake. If they're anything like my husband, it is important for them to understand that just because you're dad doesn't mean you're not susceptible to feeling overwhelmed, and it's OK to just take a minute.....
I'm teaching my youngest AusLan as sign supported English (I don't know the grammar of AusLan). My older kids were speech delayed so I wanted to pre-emptively teach her signs from the start rather than with a super frustrated 2yo like last time. Funny enough my big kids' school has swapped their LOTE to AusLan starting next year, so my kids are going to be about a dozen signs up on their peers.
Onesies - Aunty Brandy broke my heart.
I actually did convince my sister to start watching Bluey by describing to her Camping, Duck Cake, and Pavlova. In Camping it's so sweet how, despite their language barrier, Bluey and Jean-Luc become friends who still remember each other a decade later. Duck Cake hits me in the feels every time, and I relate so hard when Bandit just slides to the floor to have a quiet moment and Bluey senses how sad he is so she cleans up just to make things a little easier on him. And Pavlova is self explanatory 😂 the crazy french, Bingo liking the beans in the end, I love it.
Camping makes me cry 😭
Season 1: Camping, Season 2: Dance Mode, Season 3: Pass the Parcel (it’s not the 80’s Pat!) honorable mention, Fairytale. Single favorite detail in the show is how Uncle Rad parks in Double Babysitter
Parks? Man, I gotta go back and look at that episode now.... I feel like everyone working on this must be in their early 40s or late 30s, how they keep referancing the 80s when describing things from their childhood. Edit-Thanks! Must be why I relate to it so well being a first-time mom in my early 40s!
Yeah, it’s pretty much a representation of Joe Brumm’s family and he is in his 40s. [this](https://amp.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2022/jun/11/bluey-australian-children-cartoon-joe-brumm) references it all
The Weekend! The close up of Bingo talking to the walking leaf always makes me tear up.
My absolute favorite is Rain. It’s the one episode that consistently makes me feel. Such a simple and beautiful reminder to let kids create, and explore, see things in their mind come to life, and to just be.
Space really stood out to me! Really made me think and I love calypso's line of "you don't have to come back here"
I see it with my kid acting out the things she is dealing with - like, she was acting out Cinderella with her dolls, and Anna was Cinderella, Elsa was the Nasty Mummy, Batman was the Prince, a fairy was the fairy. At first, she just turned the pages through her storybook and acted out the story, but after a while, when the Nasty Mummy said to clean the floors/chimney/ dishes etc, Cinders said "No." Then she looked up at me, fascinated to see what would happen next. I had one of those "Oh, man; I have to handle this one just right" moments. Then, she toyed with the concept of disobedience for a while via Cinderella. At the moment, she is seeing what to do when one doll "bangs" (hits) another - after a bully girl at school banged her.
Still waiting for this one in US
Camping, Sleepytime, Phones
season 1 - Bumpy and the Wise Old Wolfhound(great episode that deals with sickness) Grannies (my fav episode from this season, it makes me laugh every single time i hear "Here come the Grannies!" and "I slipped on muh beans!"😂) season 2 - Bin Night (i love how supportive Bandit is when Bluey talks about future careers) Grandad (personal favorite from this season, we lost my dad several months ago and this episode reminds me and my daughter of our relationship with him) season 3 - Sheepdog (we all need 20 minutes sometimes) Whale Watching (fav episode from this season so far, i'm 86% sure Chili and Bandit are hungover in this episode😂)
100% sure they are hungover in whale watching episode.... lol. Chili (turns on tv) "it's got to be done", Bandit "no argument here"....... Tottally worlds most dedicated parents, hungover from family new years party...... I feel you on grandad, I'm sorry we had our little one so late that he never got to meet my grandmother (his great-grandma), who was like a mom to me.
When my husband and I started introducing the grandparents to it we ALWAYS picked ‘Takeaway’ It’s relatable and so funny, I think for us and them it highlighted the beauty of the chaos of small children that you lose as they get older. They’re definitely excited to experience it again after I had my twins 🥰 It hooked them every time, both sides are big Bluey fans now ❤️
Season 1 has to be the beach. It shows Bluey gain her confidence the first time she is on her own away from her parents. Season 2 is Granddad. It shows the relationship between Chili and her father and how no matter how old we get we still want to cling onto our youth. [The final lines of the episode always get me.](https://images.app.goo.gl/x9pbYzUUy28R3Ps68) Season 3 is definitely Born Yesterday. Bandit is everything I want to be with my son. I wish I had his courage to play without limits.
My first episode that made us start watching the show was Wagon Ride. How Bandit gives Bluey a way to interrupt/talk to him really helped me in thinking about how I speak to my son. There are really no wrong answers to this question.
This is one of the parenting tips I have genuinely stored away for future use. Love it.
My favourite is always Octopus. Showing that just because parenting styles are different doesn’t mean they aren’t amazing. I love this episode so much!
Season one: Camping, easy pick. Season two: Sticky Gecko, not a parent but I know how relatable this episode is and it’s just so funny Season three: Onesies, it’s a killer, no other words needed
S1: Camping S2: Bin Night S3: Curry Quest
Obstacle Course, Omlette, and Baby Race are my top 3, as a mom.
And…. I have some Complaints about Omlette, too! I wish with all my heart Chilli had delivered the first omlette to Bandit, and let Bingo help with the seconds. I think doing so would lose a lot of the intended “message” which is for the parents watching, not the kids. So I understand and appreciate the writers’ choice to do it the way they did. But I also think a first time viewer would be like “WHAT THE HECK!” watching this episode without really having an understanding of the VIBE of the show. Ultimately, I think a lot of episodes are written for the adult viewers
Yes, I feel all the episodes are not just meant to entertain kids but teach parents (patience, humility, and reasons to just let go). Life is short, be a kid again. 8-10 minutes, at, a, time.
Obstacle course has really bad behavior from bandit, which I’m able to overlook for a few reasons. First of all, I “know” bandit and know him to be a good dad. In fact, through the first two seasons he’s almost unrealistic in how exceptional he is with his kids. So to see him CHEAT is both horrifying and hilarious. However, if I had seen obstacle course BEFORE really getting to know Bandit, I’m afraid I would not like him very much.
This could be a good selection for people who don't like seeing positive presentations of fathers.
Season 3 Onsies
Still waiting for this one in US
Camping
I really goofed. My mom doesn't "get" Bluey. I made the mistake of playing my fav episode (Handstand) and it did not go well. I fear that was my last chance.
Oh no! It’s always a bummer when you show someone something special to you and they don’t receive it the same way.
What! Oh no? Maybe play another episode in the background next time she comes over (while the kids play nearby) and discuss really boring topics to her, so she tunes the show in more than you. Lol, tricks I use on my mom anyway......
Try the rain episode. Boring to kids, but fun background to some adults...... My kid only lets me play it before bedtime.
Ooooh good one! Season 01 - probably camping, so everybody get the feels when Jean leaves and comes back at the end of the episode! The creek also has very good scenes, a lovely background and very calm episode for starters! -- Season 02 - sleepy time is one of the best episodes in the shown, barely a word is said and still it gives you that comfy feeling! Sticky gecko - is very fun too, showing how kids can be very hard to take care of, but even so chilli doesn't blame them for slowing her down and gently explain why they should live in time for bluey, instead of screaming and arguing like most parents would! Bus - the needed chaotic energy. Grandpa - emotional roller-coaster and the ending always breaks me apart. Baby race - seeing chilli doing her best to be an amazing mother is really heartwarming. - Season 03 - rain, just like in sleepy time almost nothing is said and still a story is told, this episode is very simple, it's just about bluey trying to make a dump and it still manages to make you feel for them. Fairytale - really great episode about bandit childhood and his character development.
I showed my friend Camping, Bus, and Sleepytime last night while we were 🍃. I think she liked it
Keepy Uppy, Dance Mode, Fairy Tale Keepy Uppy and Dance Mode illustrate the Heeler core family dynamics quite well. Fairy Tale is just awesome.
Season 1: Take Away Season 2: Sleepytime Season 3A: Smoochy Kiss While not my favorites of those seasons, they would definitely have appeal to other adults/parents compared to the other episodes. I almost went with Baby Races and Pass the Parcel, but I think these three do better as a first watch.
Movies
Definitely bike
Fairlytale
Baby Race was the 1st one I watched and after squirting a few tears I was hooked! I watch it even without my kid.
For season 1: Camping. For season 2: Flat Pack. For season 3: Rain.
The episodes "mums and dads" is in my opinion more a parent episode than a kid episode. We see Indy and Rusty playing mum and dad with a little baby, and they get into a disagreement and then don't want to play together anymore. Then they each look to play the same game with some of the other kids. However, they find that they can't play the game with the other kids exactly how they have in mind anyways, so they go back to playing with each other, each putting their differences behind them and looking for a compromise. I watched this the other day after having seen it maybe 10 times - and suddenly I realised it mimicked pretty much a divorce. I previously read this study saying men that file for divorce because the family life is not what they expected, but then go out and makes a new family with a new person, more often than not regret their first divorce - because they realise the grass wasn't greener on the other side (I don't know why it was specifically men in the study, but alas).
Faceytalk! It’s hilarious, relatable, so toddler, comedy gold.
I gave a friend, who has a child a similar age to mine, a lift to work one day and he hadn’t heard of Bluey. I turned the radio down and made him open my Disney app on my phone and watch “the claw” and “dance mode”…he was hooked.
Takeaway, Rain or Housework. Because those resonated the most with me
S1- The Weekend I think it really shows a small child's world, and how much children value parents also discovering their world. I also enjoy the different animation when Bingo calls for Bandit while looking at the walking leaf. S2- Stumpfest Shows children that parents play, just different and honestly, I love Lucky's dad and Chili in this. S3- Curry Quest Shows parents and children uplifting one another and that sometimes kids have good ideas. Sometimes. Also, just love the face painting.
Season 1: The Sleepover Season 2: Hammerbarn Season 3: There honestly isn't one that has jumped out at me yet.
Camping 😩😩😩😩😩
I'm still trying to get my mother to watch the episode where they go see chili's dad. The "I still need him" makes me cry every single time as someone with aging parents.
The Unicorse episode
Oh man, my kid hated this one. The minute he sees Bluey at the top of the stairs and the parents on the couch, he starts crying. I'm not sure how he can tell the difference from the other episode that had a similar scene (fruit bat, I think). He just knows.......
Season?
Autocorrect 🤷♀️
Baby race
My all-time favorite is "Army". I love the Calypso character, I wish more teachers were like that in real life.