Here’s Why Bluey Fans Think Uncle Stripe Might Have A Drinking Problem

As Bluey fans know by now, this is a show that has plenty to entertain parents. From serious topics like miscarriage to pop culture references kid will never understand, Bluey is a series that wants to give the adults watching something to hang on to. And, online fandoms being online fandoms, there are plenty of theories about the more adult — or darker — side of Bluey. Now that we’ve had time to digest the nuances of one of the penultimate episode, “The Sign,” some are questioning whether Bluey’s Uncle Stripe has a drinking problem and what that might mean for his family. Here’s what folks are saying (and what we think as well)...

Stripe is known to be the wildest of the three Heeler brothers.

Radley, Bandit, and Stripe are a rowdy trio. From the time they’re little, as seen in “Fairy Tale,” they’re your standard group of brothers. They roughhouse, they tease, and are overall pretty spirited. This doesn’t seem to change much as they become adults, especially when it comes to Bandit and Stripe, who live in the same city and hang out regularly. And it doesn’t take long for us to figure out that Stripe is the most unhinged of the three. Just look at him celebrating his victory over the stump in “Stumpfest.” Stripe has, as the kids say, no chill.

We’ve seen or heard of him getting drunk more than once.

Remember how we said that the show is full of jokes that are mainly for adults? One of the best examples of this is probably the Season 3 episode “Whale Watching,” which is all about the challenges of parenting while hungover.

In fact, in that episode, as Bandit and Chilli nurse hangovers after a particularly raucous New Year’s Eve party at Stripe and Trixie’s house, we learn that Chilli spent the evening dancing on a table, which Muffin observed when she was awoken by her father screaming “Cannonball!” and jumping in the pool.

“Ha!” Bandit chuckles upon learning this from Bingo. “Classic Stripe.”

Some have speculated whether Stripe lounging on the floor in Season 1’s “Verandah Santa” is another instance of him overindulging a bit.

We see Trixie and Chilli are enjoying a glass of wine together. Who’s to say there’s not an adult beverage in Stripe’s mug. That evidence, of course, is circumstantial. But in “The Sign,” we have plenty of evidence that Stripe did, indeed, let loose at his big brother’s wedding. In several instances, we can see he has a drink on hand...

And then, of course, we see him emerge the next morning. Specifically, out of Wendy’s hedges, looking worse for wear...

Uncle Stripe and Aunt Trixie have been shown arguing quite a bit.

In addition to some pretty clearly inebriated moments, fans point to the fact that in at least two episodes — “Faceytalk” and “The Sign” — we see Trixie and Stripe arguing. This happens multiple times in “The Sign,” including Trixie scolding her husband for spilling the beans about Rad wanting Frisky to move away with him and a few instances where she looks mildly to majorly embarrassed by Stripe’s wacky hijinks during the wedding, including when he jumps in to win the bouquet toss.

There’s even a “blink and you’ll miss it” visual gag during Rad and Frisky’s wedding reception where Socks is imitating her parents’ fighting with wedding cake toppers...

“They seem to be arguing most of the time,” muses one Redditor.

“Normal healthy marriages don’t involve the husband getting wasted at a party and crashing like they’re a college student, abandoning his wife and small daughters,” replies another. “Occasional arguments happen, but not enough in a healthy relationship for a toddler to mimic her parents arguing for play. I hope they address their relationship in the next season, cuz this ain’t healthy.”

But here’s why we’re not worried...

First of all, let’s review the times we’ve seen or heard him overdoing it: New Year’s Eve, maybe Christmas, and his brother’s wedding. We’re not promoting binge drinking, but also: we’re all adults here. Whomst among us hasn’t, perhaps, overindulged on similar occasions? I certainly have. And as for he and Frisky fighting: squabbles are hardly rare among parents of young children. The times we’ve seen them argue is once over parenting (common) and a few times during a wedding, which can often be a high pressure situation, even if they’re exciting.

But for me, one character completely vindicates Stripe’s behavior: Muffin “The Flamingo Queen” Heeler. Muffin is boisterous, loud, impulsive, and entirely chaotic. Where do y’all think she got that from? Stripe at his silliest is just an adult version of Muffin.

She may look like her mum, but personality-wise Muffin is all Stripe. He doesn’t have a drinking problem — or I’d at least need more evidence than I’m seeing — he’s just a wild and crazy guy and, judging from his similarly wild and crazy kid, it’s genetic.

In short: is there a possibility that Stripe needs to sort out his relationship with alcohol (in part to sort out his relationship with his wife)? Maybe. But we’re more inclined to believe that Stripe’s love of partying from time to time is just something adults can chuckle about while watching with their kids, who aren’t quite in on the joke.