We are big fans of Bluey here at HoneyKids Asia, the adorable cartoon about a family of dogs living in Queensland, Australia. But this latest episode hit us right in the feels, and not for all the right reasons.
We are advocates for reducing screen time, and looking for low-stimulating shows for kids, and Bluey tops the list as one of our favourites to watch as a family with our four-year-old with its short runtime and meaningful takeaways. As an Australian expat living in Singapore, hearing the lilting Aussie accents emanating from the screen when the kids and I watch Bluey together is usually a cue for a pang of homesickness and nostalgia. More than this, the show manages to tackle really difficult topics sensitively, combining both parenting and life lessons delicately. Rarely is there a Bluey episode that doesn’t make me shed a little tear (or sometimes, sobs).
So, when I settled down with my morning coffee to watch the much-hyped 28 minute-long Bluey episode called The Sign, I thought I was in for a similar ride of emotional aches, yet ultimately satisfactory sense of joy and comfort.
Sadly, I was wrong. Read on for our review of this 28 minute-long episode of Bluey, The Sign.
Episode recap (spoiler alert!)
The Sign
‘The Sign’ refers to a ‘For Sale’ sign, that is prominently placed at the front of Chilli and Bandit’s family home. This immediately elicits a little gasp. They are selling their beloved house? This is a heavy topic. For anyone who has moved house, you’ll know there are a plethora of emotions. Added to this, there’s a family wedding between Bandit’s brother Radley and his girlfriend Frisky that is going to take place in the back garden. And we all know that weddings don’t come without a little drama, and this story is no exception.
The Farmer
Bluey is very unhappy that the family are intent on selling their home and moving to another city because of Bandit’s new job (which he informs comes with ‘a lot more money’). She tells her classmates she has to move, and her teacher tells her the story of ‘The Farmer’, which is actually based on an ancient Chinese folktale about how everything happens as it should, and it will all work out. Bluey takes this as a sign that if she pulls out the For Sale sign from her front garden, the move will no longer have to happen.
The Wedding
As wedding preparations are underway, Frisky hears that Radley is planning to ask her to move out West with him, away from the Queensland suburb where she currently lives. Frisky calls him, hangs up on him, then proceeds to leave in her car, telling Bluey, Bingo and their cousins that the wedding is off.
On hearing this, Chilli bundles the girls into the car and heads out to find Frisky, determined to change her mind on cancelling the wedding. They find her at the lookout, and Chilli confesses to Bluey that she doesn’t want to move either, but that they should be brave and look at it as a great new adventure. Radley also appears at the lookout, and reunites with Frisky. The wedding is back on!
The End
The Heelers pack up their furniture and prepare to move out of their family home. It dawns on Bingo that they actually have to leave, and Bluey recounts the tale of The Farmer to her for comfort, bringing the story full circle. As they are about to drive away, Bandit’s phone rings – the buyers have pulled out, and the Heelers can keep their home! Cue a cuddle puddle of joy and a carpet picnic in the now-empty house.
So, what are our concerns with this story?
1. The women’s feelings aren’t considered equally to their partner
There is a lot of discomfort watching Frisky being portrayed as overly dramatic for leaving to get some thinking space and questioning her decision to marry someone who is making life-altering decisions without involving her. Marriage is easy to enter, and difficult to leave. If she was having serious doubts, she needed support, not pressure.
Then there’s Chilli. In her efforts to support her husband’s job, she was pushing her own feelings aside. By the end of the episode it was very clear that she didn’t want to leave, and that is a perfectly valid choice. Not everyone has to see travel and moving as a great big adventure. Throughout the episode, it is very clear that Bandit is asking himself, “Am I making a mistake?” when the decisions should have been made in consultation with each other.
2. The kids weren’t supported or properly prepared for life changing events
The kids’ feelings are valid too. Bingo was properly shocked when she realised that they actually had to leave the house, and Chilli seemed surprised that Bingo didn’t understand that. Why was this not all explained to Bingo earlier, and why wasn’t more done to emotionally prepare the girls for this life-changing experience? A lot of resentment can be prevented if the kids feel like the experience is happening with them and not to them.
3. Home is where the heart is – it’s a feeling, not a place
Having shifted from the first house my husband and I bought together soon after the birth of our first baby, then moving away from my home country with two small children 10 years ago and moving apartments since then, I can definitively say that ‘home’ is not a house. It’s not even a country, or a place. It is people, and a feeling.
Sure, ‘stuff’ helps to make a house feel like it’s yours. But the real memories are made from the time you spend together, doing all the little things Bluey usually reminds of us. Play time, reading stories, taking walks and exploring, eating meals together. The focus on the house and needing to stay there seemed to overshadow what we actually love about the show, which isn’t their home – it’s the Heeler family themselves.
[UPDATE] Surprise!
The next Bluey episode has just been released, titled ‘Surprise!’ and it’s left us with even more questions. Spoiler alert: the Heelers do not sell their family home. With more heavy topics around whether or not Bluey and Bingo will have children in the future and what having a family is like, we love the angles of inclusivity and representation of disability. We are in debate over the child at the end – is this Bluey or Bingo’s offspring, Mackenzie or Jean Luc as the father? Send us a DM – we’d love to know your thoughts!
So, while we will continue to enjoy Bluey for all that it has to teach us, we’ll probably skip this episode for a rewatch. We’d love to hear your thoughts! Let us know @honeykidsasia, or email [email protected]
