With "The Sign," Bluey Has Once Again Emotionally Destroyed Us As Only Bluey Can

After months of anticipation a new, extra-long episode of Bluey, “The Sign,” premiered internationally and woo-boy, we were not prepared. From moves to weddings, grand returns and, frankly, deep themes for a kids show, there’s a lot to unpack, so let’s dive right in.

Synopsis for “The Sign”

The episode revolves around the double dramas — one in the front yard and one in the backyard. In the backyard, there’s going to be a wedding! Aunt Frisky (Chilli’s best friend and Bluey’s “fairy” godmother) became reacquainted with Uncle Rad (Bandit’s older brother) when the Heelers accidentally double-booked them as babysitters. Over the course of the evening taking care of Bluey and Bingo, the pair clearly connected, and it wasn’t long before we saw them again on holiday together. So when we heard there was going to be a wedding, we had a pretty good guess as to who would be getting hitched and we weren’t wrong.

While the backyard is being used to create beautiful family memories, the front yard is a problem: it’s where the big “For Sale” sign looms over the joy. We learn that the move is prompted by Bandit getting a better paying job in a new city. Chilli half-heartedly tells the girls it’s going to be a new adventure. When a pair of old english sheepdogs put in an offer on the home, Bluey in particular is despondent about the thought of leaving her house and her community, but eventually is comforted by her teacher, Calypso, who tells her the parable of the Chinese farmer, which highlights that “good luck” and “bad luck” is really just waiting for cause and effect to fully evolve.

As the family prepares for the wedding, Frisky receives some news she wasn’t expecting — Rad expects her to move “out west” after the wedding. But she doesn’t want to leave Brisbane and opts instead to flee the wedding. Chilli, Bluey, Bingo, Mufin, and Socks run after her, and through a series of good luck and bad luck, ultimately find her at her favorite spot, the Mount Coot-tha lookout (giving us one of the funniest moments in the episode, when Chilli explains “Frisky and I used to come up here as teenagers to... ... think”). As Bluey attempts to use the coin she found on the search to use a pair of coin operated binoculars (unsuccessfully: it gets stuck in the slot), Rad appears— he knows Frisky, so he knew where he would find her immediately.

The wedding is saved! And it goes off without a hitch. Aunt Brandy is there: pregnant! (If you’re a fan of the episode “Onesies” you know this is a big deal.) And so is “Grandpa Bob” (whom the girls apparently call Bobba). Bob has been unaccounted for since Season 1 and fans have been very concerned that he might be ill or dead. It turns out he was in India “finding himself.” Yes, Bandit’s dad wasn’t dead: he was eat, pray, loving.

And the excitement doesn’t stop there. Frisky and Rad announce that they won’t be moving, but staying in Brisbane. Bandit asks his older brother what he’s going to do about his job. “Find a new one,” Rad replies simply, before telling Bandit, “You worry too much, little brother.”

But the house sale goes through and the family packs everything up. Across town, the old english sheepdogs who bought the house are at Mount Coot-tha and want to use the binoculars to find their new house. And would you look at that: there’s a pair that already has a coin in it! It’s stuck, but they’re easily able to unwedge it and take a peek. They don’t find their new house, but they do see another house for sale... and this one has a pool!

As the Heelers pile into the car to leave for the last time, Bandit gets a call. We don’t hear it, but we understand: the sheepdogs have pulled out of the sale. As his family waits in the car, Bandit, deep in thought and then emotion, pulls out the For Sale sign and flings it into the street. The Heelers rush back into their house and have a takeout dinner on the famous kiwi rug in the playroom.

Good luck? We’ll see.

Recurring themes

Radical acceptance

The moral of this lovely episode can really be boiled down to the parable of the farmer. Accepting events as they occur, as part of a larger picture, even events that seem awful, can lead to good things. Or not! But, as Chilli says at Rad and Frisky’s wedding “I’m done trying to figure it out: I want to dance!” Like when there’s no room for Bluey in the back of Bobo (oh yeah, we learn the Heeler family car is named Bobo) and she quickly laments “This is the worst day of my life!” before she’s instructed to sit in the front, declaring “This is the best day of my life!”

The butterfly effect

In chaos theory, the butterfly effect is a theory that highlights how small initial changes can result in larger changes down the line. Oh yeah, folks: we’re getting into chaos theory. This is Bluey! This show goes deep! This of course ties into the farmer parable — things that initially look like good luck can ultimately turn out for the best — and is particularly apparent in the search for Frisky. Bluey being in the front seat of the car caused them to get pulled over by a police officer, who was able to tell them where Frisky was. It was “bad luck” that they missed her, but Bluey found a lucky coin at that location that the sheepdogs were able to use to locate their new house that allowed the Heelers to stay.

Wanting what’s best for your kids

It’s not exactly a secret theme. (Well, none of them are: however clever a kids show it is, it is still a kids’ show...) Bandit and Chilli repeat this sentiment throughout the episode when contemplating their move. Neither is keen on the idea of leaving their home, but they believe this new job could provide new opportunities for the girls. “I just want to give them the best life I can,” Bandit says earnestly. While most of the episode is seen through Bluey’s eyes, it’s nice to give a nod to the struggle parents feel when making big decisions, especially big decisions for their children. Because a lot of the time we don’t know what we’re doing, or if we’re making a mistake! It’s nice to see a show that’s right there with us.