Next month, animated television phenomenon Bluey is set to premiere two episodes globally for the very first time. Up until now, fans outside of Australia have had to wait a year or more to see episodes that originally aired in their country of origin. The Pop Break is here to hype this release and hopefully convince some non-parents to hop on the bandwagon for one of the most important and beloved animated series of all time.
Previously, we brought you 5 episodes of Bluey to make you laugh, and 5 episodes of Bluey to make you cry, but today we are taking a different approach.
This time, we are here to discuss 5 episodes that highlight Bluey’s innovative style and bold animation.
Listen. You may not be a parent, and you may not be nursing nostalgia for your former childhood innocence and imagination, but you may be a connoisseur of great television. It would be a shame for you to miss out on some of the best art that contemporary television has to offer.
While this article sets out to identify some of the most innovative Bluey episodes, a ton of worthy content wound up on the cutting room floor. For that reason, it’s important to establish three universal truths:
- There is no such thing as a bad episode of Bluey.
- The “worst” episode of Bluey is still miles ahead of most other shows produced for children or adults. Every episode on this list and beyond is oozing with noteworthy humor, style, and emotion.
- Lists like this are subjective and should only be used to facilitate conversation and build community around this pop culture phenomenon. Bluey knows how to dig deep into our souls, and each episode will land differently in the heart of each viewer. All of those takes are valid.
Now it’s time to get artsy and cerebral with some creative episodes of Bluey. Please remember, this list is presented in chronological order, because, who are we to rank the quality of art for others? We all know that true art comes alive in the minds of the audience.
“Take Away” (1.14)
We open on a simple restaurant storefront. All is calm, but this quaint scene is about to become a proving ground for the power of childhood imagination. Our action will not stray from this shot apart from occasional shifts to a wider view, some cuts to the outdoor water tap set to one side of the storefront, and cuts to the bush set on the other side of the storefront.
Chaos ensues when Bandit insists on waiting five minutes while the restaurant prepares an order of spring rolls that were lost in the shuffle. Bluey and Bingo simply can not wait patiently; instead their curiosity and imagination allow them to discover possibility in every small corner of the scene, from a display of outdoor menus to the small weeds growing through cracks in the pavement. Then, things get wild: the tap runs out of control, Bingo has to pee, and mother nature delivers some poorly-timed crows. Ultimately, the “take away” order ends up strewn across the ground (and across a collapsed Bandit).
But this is not a tragic tale. Despite his initial anxiety and lack of cool, Bandit ultimately sees the joy and promise in his daughters’ curiosity. Sure, the girls’ minds wander, but they wander to interesting places like, “Dad, is everything in the whole world made of atoms?” They are focused on the little things, and thanks to this intricately-crafted and patient episode, so is the audience.
“Sleepytime” (2.9)
This is a key episode in Bluey history – a clear declaration that this “children’s” show has loftier goals than casual viewers might assume. What starts as an episode about Bingo’s quest to complete a “big girl” sleep in her own bed turns into a voyage through a surreal outer space dreamscape. Bingo works through pleasant sleep, troubled sleep, and even sleepwalking while floating through her dream with co-pilot Floppy (her stuffed bunny) by her side.
Not only do Bingo and Floppy hatch out of planets that crack like massive eggs at the dawn of this voyage toward “big girl” status, but Bingo and Floppy continue to grow in confidence throughout the episode. In another flash of creative brilliance, the warmth and composition of the planets they encounter shift in relation to the warmth and comfort of Bingo’s moment to moment real-world sleep. When she is struggling, the planets get smaller, colder, and darker. When she is comfortable, she literally sinks more deeply into their melting surfaces. This relationship reaches its apex when dream Bingo addresses a sentient sun at the center of her dream solar system and it answers back in the wise voice of her mother, Chilli.
Yes, we also get some cutaway gags to stolen blankets and the physical violence sleeping children inadvertently inflict on their parents when they wander out of their own beds, but this only serves to strengthen the message about the epic proportions of Bingo’s growth goal in comparison to the small headaches and frustrations that occupy the minds of the parents. It’s a beautiful episode that finds a unique way to reveal truths about life and personal growth.
“Escape” (2.18)
This episode is a bit lighter than the previous entries, but it makes up for that lightness with crisp and creative visual innovation. We open on the Heeler family in transit to Nana’s house. Bluey and Bingo are going to spend the night with Nana so that Bandit and Chilli can get a little alone time away from their children.
Bluey and Bingo are deeply offended that their parents seem excited to spend some time alone, so they begin to devise an elaborate plan to hunt down their parents rather than be excluded from the fun. Bandit and Chilli decide to roll up their sleeves and spar with the girls through the act of shared storytelling. Each time the kids raise the stakes of their imaginative plan, their parents throw another story obstacle in the way – until the tables turn!
Of course, we get more than just words – we get to see the whole imaginative tale unfold in the form of childlike illustrations that Bluey and Bingo later complete at Nana’s house. It’s a fun storytelling tool that brings the episode’s imaginative gags to life; we see an elaborate flying bus, Bandit and Chilli clinging to their coconut cocktails, and a butler named Jerry Lee who is very susceptible to bribes. Ultimately, this episode celebrates the lasting, powerful impact of imaginative play.
If you love this episode, check out what I had to say about its more recent spiritual cousin, “Dragon,” in One Dad Ranks the Latest Season Three Bluey Drop.
“Handstand” (2.44)
Apart from some slight variation in the closing moments, this episode centers on two single frames filled with the chaos of Bingo’s birthday party. We get increasingly chaotic looping and repeating animations of adults and children at the party so engrossed in their own work and play that they fail to offer Bingo the one thing she truly wants: an attentive audience for the handstand she is trying to perfect.
This is similar to the vibe of “Take Away,” but “Handstand” raises the stakes when it cuts to a second perspective and we get to see the other half of the looping sequences that we saw in the opening portion of the episode. This is a compelling and entertaining visual orchestration, but it also builds on the themes of the episode. In the second phase, we see that Nana also feels ignored. Nobody seems to want her help. The world is passing her by.
This episode would be a masterpiece on the strength of the visionary animation alone, but its emotional beats also pay off. We feel something when Bingo and Nana find each other at the end of the episode. Nana finally feels needed and Bingo finally gets the attentive audience she deserves on her birthday. This union also sets up a perfect ending in which the chaotic masses gather for cake and a birthday song only to discover that they’ve lost track of Bingo. We know that she is just fine. She is getting the simple attention and connection she wanted all along.
“Rain” (3.18)
Bluey has occasionally come close to wordless episodes, but after a quick “goodbye” to Bandit and Bingo in the opening seconds, “Rain” fully commits to the challenge. We get a lovely piece of visual storytelling about Bluey playing in the rain. The episode springs into life with an assist from the calm, folksy score (we even get some extra character from a harmonica); composer Joff Bosh is working his magic once again.
Bluey’s animators and composer capture more than the simple joy of childhood imagination; they bring us the emotional weight of a child fully engrossed in the impossible challenge of imposing order on the chaos of the world as she tries to dam the flow of water down the front walkway. It’s a human tale that many of us have lived in one form or another, whether it was imposing order on the landscape of our own childhood homes or desperately using our bare hands to hold back the last bit of bathwater from the drain. It’s a losing battle, but as kids, we cling to the hope that we hold that kind of power.
Meanwhile, Chilli mops up while Bluey tracks water through the house in search of more toys for her project. We feel for Chilli as she yearns for five minutes of relaxation in her front porch chair. This dynamic makes for some fun sight gags, but those gags aren’t nearly as rewarding as the moment when Chilli lets go and embraces the fun alongside her daughter.
There we have it – five pure and refined artistic visions, subsidized by the Australian government. Please be on the lookout for our final hype installment! We are getting ready to quench your thirst for star power when we explore 5 episodes of Bluey with fun celebrity cameos!
Don’t forget to mark your calendars for the global debut of “Ghostbasket” on April 7 and the record-setting, 28-minute episode, “The Sign,” on April 14th!
