If you want to check out the best, yet sad Bluey episodes that will make you cry but also have some impactful life lessons, then look no further than our episode round-up.
From hard topics to inspiring motivators to get through life, Bluey is a great show that talks about life with brutal honesty, while keeping it appropriate for kids.
There are several lessons that they go through from grief, emotion management, and learning how to keep going even when times get hard. If you want to see why Bluey is one of the best children’s shows, then check out these emotional Bluey episodes.
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15. “Cricket” Season 3, Episode 47
“Cricket” is one of the newer episodes of Bluey and has an amazing lesson behind it. While it’s not as sad as some of the others, some elements are incredibly emotional to the characters and viewers.
The episode starts with the family and some friends playing cricket out in a field, and when it’s Rusty’s turn to bat, the dads start incredibly confident that they’ll get them out. However, Bluey begs to differ and explains that Rusty is really good at the game.
Bandit narrates the tale, the story shows each dad trying to get Rusty out, but only describing how hard Rusty had to practice making sure he could hit every ball. While Rusty started his passion for cricket beaten up from his older brothers’ games, he eventually became really good, and with his father, who is away in the army, encouragement through letters, the dads aren’t able to get him out.
14. “Bin Night” Season 2, Episode 32
There are some things that you can’t really control, like being picked on by others, whether you’re an adult or a kid. One sad Bluey episode is “Bin Night” which highlights the struggles of getting picked on.
The show starts with the kids and dad heading to the bins to take them to the curb to get picked up, and during their journey, Dad asks Bingo how school is going, which she confesses to a new kid saying hurtful names to her.
Each evening Bingo will talk about her struggles, and each morning, Mom will give some helpful advice, and eventually, Bingo finds a way to overcome her struggles and find the positives where there are negatives.
13. “Handstand” Season 2, Episode 45
It’s hard when you’re feeling ignored or left out, and for this episode, Bingo is struggling to get someone to pay attention to her. In “Handstand“, Bingo is mastering the art of her technique, and when she finally gets it right, she begs people to look at her, but unfortunately, the party is a bit too busy, and no one seems to pay her any mind.
On the other side, Nanna just wants to help and is unable to make herself useful. Thankfully, when Bingo reaches her limits of feeling disappointed that no one is watching, Nanna reassures her that she’s been watching, keeping each other company.
12. “Army” Season 2, Episode 16
This episode is for all the kids who had trouble growing up because of ADHD. In “Army” we meet a new kid named Jack, who is a Jack Russell Terrier, who has moved into Bluey’s school recently. And while this episode doesn’t focus on our main Heeler family, it’s still a sad Bluey episode that teaches us important life lessons and stories.
Jack is new but is quickly recruited into Rusty’s Army. Jack has a hard time following instructions, but Rusty is determined to make a soldier out of him. Through rigorous training, Jack is finally able to get the hang of his duties.
When Rusty asks Jack why he transferred to their school, Jack has the honest, sad answer “I’m not good at doing what I’m told. I can’t sit still, and I can’t remember anything, like numbers, or letters, or my hat”, but thankfully Rusty has the most amazing response of “You’re good at playing Army”, which is heartwarming. Not only is Jack accepted so easily, but it really isn’t always about sitting still and doing what you’re told, but having a great imagination and finding things that you enjoy doing.
11. “Bumpy and the Wise Old Wolfhound” Season 1, Episode 32
A personal favorite of mine is another sad Bluey episode that teaches about life lessons and hardships: “Bumpy and the Wise Old Wolfhound“. Right away we dive into Bingo sitting on a hospital bed being checked out by a doctor and her mother at her side. A very sad Bingo wants to go home, but unfortunately, she has to stay another night.
Thankfully, there’s a message on the tablet ready to cheer up a sad Bingo, and it’s a video. Right away we see that Bluey has created a movie about Barnicus, played by Bluey, who wants a puppy. Thankfully the whole family pitches in the help with the movie. And from the horrid acting, and the sheer chaos of it all, Bingo gets a bit cheered up in the process.
And with the movie teaches a lesson that everyone gets sick, but with enough love, care, and attention, you’ll get better. While Bingo isn’t feeling good right now, she will be soon, and they’ll all be waiting to help and support her through any illness she has. It’s one of the best heartwarming episodes.
10. “Butterflies” Season 1, Episode 15
“Butterflies” is a tough episode, especially for little siblings. I don’t know how many times I was left out of a game or activity while my older sibling played with his friends. But thankfully, Bluey does an amazing job at showing how this can affect those around you, and teaching how important it is to not exclude someone and the power of a sibling relationship.
A sad Bluey episode that teaches about life lessons begins with Bluey and Bingo in the backyard preparing to play Butterflies in the fabric swing when Judo pops in to ask to join. Judo is annoyed with Bingo which sets the tone already.
When it’s Bingo’s turn to be the butterfly, Judo suggests that Bluey and her ditch Bingo. Bluey goes along with it, and it of course causes an abandoned feeling with Bingo and is hurt. In the end, Judo and Bluey realize that they ditched not only each other, but also Bingo, and promise to not do it again because it makes the other person feel horrible.
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9. “The Show” Season 2, Episode 16
A great sad Bluey episode is “The Show“, one that hits home for many mothers, as well as a great life lesson, to help children learn how to deal with their emotions. The episode starts with it being Mother’s Day, and Bingo is carrying a tray of food. When she trips and spills it everywhere, she runs off and hides because she thinks she ruined the day.
Chilli’s amazing advice is super helpful though by saying “I have a little cry, I pick myself up, dust myself off, and I keep going – the show must go on”. Bluey and Bingo decide to put on a show to commemorate their mother and tell her story. When Bingo, playing with her mother, has a balloon under her shirt to act as a child, Bingo is a bit too rough and ends up popping the balloon.
Not only does this cause Bingo to run off once again because she feels she ruined the day, but there are several theories that this symbolizes Chilli having a miscarriage. Quickly after, we see Bingo crying, but uses her mother’s amazing advice to pick herself back up and keep going.
8. “Copycat” Season 1, Episode 38
Bluey episodes really do talk about some heavy topics, which goes to show that Bluey isn’t just a kid’s show. There are several reasons people of all ages should check out Bluey. One sad Bluey episode that talks about a heavy topic is “Copycat“.
The show starts with Bluey copying every move that Dad makes, following him around the house, and even on a walk to annoy him. But the fun game soon turns serious when they stumble across a hurt budgie. They take the budgie to a vet and wait to see if it can recover, but unfortunately, the budgie dies, giving Bluey a first experience with death.
In hopes of helping her mind wrap around what happened, Bluey plays a game where she goes through the whole day again, and at the end, lives the fact that the budgie dies, and settles on the knowledge that life isn’t fair, but it’s okay. Not only does this teach about death and dealing with sudden grief but teaches about how to process that fact as well.
7. “Rug Island” Season 2, Episode 10
Sometimes you just need to focus on your inner child, and that’s exactly what Bluey does. While this show is predominantly for kids, adults haven’t shied away from embracing their love for it. So many of us have inner scars and battles, but there’s just something healing about Bluey.
And like all of us, Bandit has his moments of embracing his inner child, like in “Rug Island“. Bingo is sad about Bandit having to go off to work, as she wants to keep playing, but unfortunately, he leaves. So, when Bluey and Bingo put together the most amazing Rug Island full of felt pens that can be anything they want, like bananas, campfires, and snakes, Dad has to embrace his inner child to be accepted.
Eventually, he has to go back and become a grown-up, giving Bingo her moment to accept that and let him leave. It’s incredibly touching and will bring tears to your eyes.
6. “The Creek” Season 1, Episode 29
What about a lesson that teaches you to enjoy nature around you and helps you find joy without toys? “The Creek” is a gorgeous episode, simply from the art style and the colors, but is also one that teaches you a great life lesson of getting out into nature and exploring it.
While it’s not totally a sad Bluey episode, there is some tension at the beginning of it. Bluey is definitely not a fan of nature because of how scary it can be with the bugs and the dangers. But soon, when Bandit shows them the creek he used to play in as a child, she begins to see the beauty.
From the tadpoles poking at their feet, to the clear water and mud, the kids eventually find a lot of joy in playing in the creek. This episode shows you that you don’t need all the toys or gadgets to have fun, but being in nature with some amazing friends and an imagination is all you need.
5. “Bike” Season 1, Episode 11
It’s hard to get back up again after being knocked down, and sometimes it’s important to take a break. In the episode “Bike“, Bluey is doing just that. This sad Bluey episode begins with Bluey struggling to learn how to ride the bike on her own and is determined to do it without the help of her dad.
But after falling a few too many times, she gives up quite frustrated and asks, “Why can’t I just do it straightaway?”, to which Bandit replies that it’s not how the world works. While Bluey is on her break, she watches three other characters struggle with their problems, such as Bingo wanting to drink out of the fountain, but it’s a bit too tall as well as Bentley struggling to get to the monkey bars because of her size.
As Bluey watches, she realizes that all of them figure out a way to overcome their goals and takes another spin on the bike with a smile on her face. In life, you’re always going to get pushed down, especially if it’s your first time doing something, but Bluey shows the importance of never really giving up. It’s important to take a break, but it’s even more important to get back up and try again.
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4. “Camping” Season 1, Episode 43
Friends come and go. Sometimes the people in our lives don’t stay forever, and sometimes they pop in and out. “Camping” is one sad Bluey episode that describes this, and it’s both a beautiful story as well as sad. As the title suggests, the Heelers are off camping, and Bluey finds a new friend, Jean-Luc, whose family is also camping in the same area.
While they aren’t able to communicate, as Jean-Luc speaks French, they do make a great team and are able to just know what to do together. On their mission to catch a wild boar, or Bandit, they have to communicate, come up with plans, and navigate one another, and in the end, they make a great team and achieve their goals.
Unfortunately, Jean-Luc has to leave, and Bluey is left wondering why they can’t play more, why they have to leave, and if she’ll ever see him again. Missing friends is hard, and it’s even harder not being able to be with someone you connect with quickly, so Bluey teaches you that sometimes people don’t stick around that long, but it’s okay.
3. “Sleepytime” Season 2, Episode 26
Another personal favorite of mine is “Sleepytime“, a magical episode that never fails to bring me to tears. This sad Bluey episode has some amazing moments, as well as funny ones, to make the perfect story. Bingo is trying to be a big girl and sleep in her bed tonight, hoping she doesn’t end up sleeping with her parents.
But when she ends up diving into an intergalactic dream, her body moves on her own. As she hops from bed to bed, the family has to navigate her traveling while sleep-deprived, doing anything they can to make sure their kids are happy, and they get some sleep. At the very end, Bingo is having trouble being a big girl and ends up crying in her sleep.
But thanks to mom, she’s helped to her bed again, and in her dream, she can hear her mom’s promise that she’ll always be there for Bingo, sending the viewers’ hearts swarming. It’s a beautiful episode that teaches us that not only is it okay to still need help, but it can be hard growing up, and it’s okay if we take our time with it.
2. “Onesies” Season 3, Episode 32
If we’re going to talk about sad Bluey episodes, then “Onesies” has to be on the list. This episode teaches about life, especially the harder topics that we don’t usually show on television, especially a children’s show. In this episode, Aunt Brandy comes to visit and looks extremely nervous.
It’s immediately known that Aunt Brandy hasn’t visited that often. While the story focuses on Bingo, who has this ‘thing’ where she inhabits the creature of a onesie she’s wearing, and in this episode she’s a tiger, causing the family to escape her wrath, the story also focuses on Brandy’s nerves being around the kids.
While it’s not confirmed or said straight out, it is heavily implied that Brandy is incapable of having kids of her own, which has caused her not to visit them and causes her to get sad when she sees the kids, especially Bingo as she looks like Brandy. Red Heelers, the breed of dog that the sisters are, have a history of infertility. That, along with Chilli’s comments, brings about this assumption.
1. “Baby Race” Season 2, Episode 47
The number one spot for sad Bluey episodes that teach about life is “Baby Race“, one of the best episodes in the series. The show begins with Bluey, Bingo, and Mom at the monkey bars, and Bluey is insistent on hearing that she’s better at someone, even Judo. But mom simply says to run your race.
This breaks into the story of Bluey taking her first steps, which don’t go exactly as planned. When Bluey was a baby, mom was very proud of the fact that she could roll over at such an early age, but as soon as Judo started getting faster at making the steps, Chilli started racing Judo, which caused a lot of disappointment.
Thankfully, Coco’s mom comes to Chilli’s rescue, reassuring her that she’s doing great, a line that sends everyone to tears when watching, especially parents. It’s a heartwarming story that talks about the worries and struggles of raising kids, especially the first one. And of course, the very end with Bingo saying, “Maybe you just saw something you wanted” and the camera focuses on Chilli just sends everyone into an emotional wreck.
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Where to Watch Bluey?
You can find Bluey through Disney Plus with a membership or purchase through Prime Video.
Disney Plus Membership
If you want a Disney Plus membership, here is everything you need to know about the streaming service.
For just the Basic Disney Plus membership it’s $7.99 a month and it includes ads. For the Premium that gives you no ads plus downloadable content to watch on the go, it’s $13.99 a month.
You can also do bundles, for instance, the Basic Disney Duo Bundle that gives you Disney Plus with Hulu, both with ads, it’s only $9.99 a month. The Premium Disney Duo Bundle that gives you Disney Plus with Hulu with no ads is $19.99 a month.
The Trio Basic which has ads with Disney, Hulu, and ESPN is $14.99 a month.
The Premium Trio that doesn’t have ads is $24.99 a month.
And then there’s the Legacy Bundle which has Disney Plus with no ads, Hulu with ads, ESPN with ads, it’s $18.99 a month.
Is Bluey Just for Kids?
Absolutely not! Since its release, several adults, whether they have kids or not, adore the show. Some even go as far as to say that it’s healing to watch it.
For those who have kids, this is the perfect show to watch with them, and for those who don’t but want to see some of the healthiest parenting styles, you need to check it out.
It’s an important show, even if it has classic, child-related themes like sharing is caring. Plus, the show does dive into important matters for adults like infertility, parenting, and the acceptance of death.
