If you are wondering what the saddest episode of Bluey is, you’re in the right place. Bluey has pulled more than a few tears from my eyes over the past few years and, if you’re in the mood for a good cry, I feel qualified to point you in the right direction.
Experts aren’t quite sure exactly why we watch things that we know are going to make us cry, but they are in agreement that crying can be an emotional release that actually makes us feel better.
As parents and caregivers, we spend a lot of time tending to the emotions of the little ones in our care, and this can cause us to put our own emotions on the back burner.
Watching a kids’ show, like Bluey, that deals with parenting-relevant topics can be a great way to recognize and release bottled-up emotions within ourselves.
Today, you’ll find out which Bluey episode you should turn to when you want that emotional release.
The 3 saddest episodes of Bluey
Baby Race
As I typed the words “Baby Race” just now, my eyes started to well up with tears. That’s the emotional power behind this Bluey episode.
What happens in this episode?
The Baby Race episode starts off with Chili telling her daughters a story of when Bluey was a baby.
Bluey’s mother talks about how she took pride in Bluey’s abilities as an infant – and let a small group of other new mothers know that her baby is early with the milestones.
Over time, it’s the other mothers that are beaming about their babies’ early milestones, while Chili is left worried because Bluey is no longer “ahead” of her peers as the other children are walking and she isn’t.
Toward the end of the episode, Chili is comforted by the kind words of another mother, Bella (Coco’s mother).
Bella shows Chili a photo of all her children. (Until this point, Chili was under the impression that Coco was Bella’s first child.)
Bella tells Chili that she knows a thing or two about raising children and then she says it – the words that will bring you to tears.
“You’re doing great”.
This isn’t the only time you’ll cry in this Bluey episode, though. You might not even get a chance to dry your tears before the next emotional moment.
At the very end of the episode, Bluey asks Chili if she ever learned to walk. Chili tells Bluey that she suddenly decided to walk one day while Chili was doing dishes in the kitchen.
Bluey says, “Why did I decide to walk in the kitchen?”. Bingo interrupts and says, “Maybe you just saw something you wanted”.
The ending scene is baby Bluey toddling toward her mother, who was busy doing dishes, with her arms out.
What makes this episode of Bluey the saddest?
New parents, specifically new mothers, are put under immense pressure by themselves and others to raise children that are “ahead”.
Mothers are often judged for their child’s perceived shortcomings in the areas of both physical and intellectual abilities.
This creates a situation wherein new mothers believe they are not doing a good job if their child isn’t meeting, or ahead, of developmental milestones.
The title “Baby Race” embodies this pressure perfectly. Parenting can feel like a bit of a competitive sport.
If you’ve been in the “Baby Race” yourself and you’ve longed for reassurance that you were doing a good job, this episode will definitely make you cry.
Baby Race can be found in season 2, episode 50.
Copycat
Cartoons rarely cover the topics of grief and loss, but we all know that Bluey is no normal cartoon.
What happens in the episode?
The episode starts with Bluey copying her dad, Bandit, which clearly is a bit grating to his nerves after a fun start.
The two walk down the sidewalk, where Bluey finds an injured baby bird on the ground.
The pair make a warm home for the budgie in a shoe box and take it to the vet.
Unfortunately, the vet is unable to save the little bird and it dies.
Bluey is very upset with this and has some difficulty understanding, but Bandit provides comfort and kind words to her.
Bluey and Bingo later play a game wherein Bluey has Bingo play the injured budgie.
The game doesn’t go how Bluey would like, as Bingo isn’t cooperating. Bandit, again, is seen comforting Bluey.
At the end of the episode, Bandit comments about how Bluey has stopped copying him.
What makes this the saddest episode of Bluey?
This is an emotional episode of Bluey for a couple of different reasons.
The first reason is that a child is shown experiencing grief over the loss of the bird.
Bluey entered the situation of finding the baby bird with optimism – her dad would get the bird safely to the veterinarian and it would get fixed right up.
That didn’t end up happening, though, and Bluey experienced heartbreak over both the loss of the bird and the situation not going how she expected it to go.
Any parent or caregiver who’s had to comfort a child during a period of grief and/or loss will feel the emotional tug of this episode.
Another reason Copycat is such an emotional episode is because of the Copycat game Bluey and Bandit were playing.
The game itself stopped when they found the budgie, but Bluey continued to emulate Bandit’s empathy and kindness.
While parents might already know that our children emulate us, seeing it played out on a screen can help us take a better look at our own behaviors, which can elicit intense emotions – maybe even sadness.
Copycat can be found in season 1, episode 39.
Onesies
If you are still in need of a good cry, Onesies is certainly in the running of Bluey’s saddest episode.
What happens in this episode?
In Onesies, Chili’s long-lost sister, Brandy, shows up with gifts for the children – Onesies.
Brandy hasn’t seen the Heeler family in 4 years because of her struggles with infertility.
It’s revealed later in the episode that Brandy has kept her distance because it’s too painful to see Chili’s happy family.
Bluey and Bingo wear their onesies and Bingo “becomes one” with hers and acts wild and playful.
Chili and Bluey hide from Bingo in the bathtub while Bingo tackles Brandy in the yard playfully.
This is where Bluey asks Chili if Brandy is sad and why she doesn’t come around. This is where Chili tells Bluey that there’s something Brandy wants “more than anything in the world” and she can’t have it.
“And there’s not really anyone can really do about it”. These words are dubbed over a scene with Bingo running away from Brandy, whose arms are stretched out toward her.
What makes this the saddest episode of Bluey?
Clearly, the saddest thing about this episode for viewers is going to be Brandy’s infertility and her longing for children she can’t have.
There isn’t closure to the episode’s main issue, as there is in other episodes. “It’s not meant to be” is as close as there can be to finding peace with infertility – in the show and in real life.
This is a very emotional episode for those who struggle with infertility.
This episode also showcases family estrangement.
If you have adult siblings you love and miss, a second watch of this episode will have you catching things you may not have the first go-round, when you didn’t know the situation between Brandy and Chili, like how the sisters’ tails both wag when they first hug.
People hide away from others for a variety of reasons, and for those who miss their “long-lost” loved ones, the embrace, ect. between Chili and Brandy can bring out feelings of sadness.
Onesies can be found in season 3, episode 31.
There you have it – 3 of the saddest, most emotional, Bluey episodes.
This show never ceases to amaze its viewers with its diverse themes and thoughtful content.
Which episode of Bluey do you think is the saddest? I’d like to know your thoughts on this.
I don’t have Disney+ but as I read the description, I think the saddest episode was Onesies.