New 30-Minute ‘Bluey’ Episode Gets 5 Stars from This Mom and Her 4-Year-Old

As a busy parent of two small kids, I’ll admit that I don’t get to watch a ton of shows; I totally missed Severance, had never heard of Elsbeth and can’t remember the last time I was able to binge watch something. But just because my Spotify Wrapped is mortifying and I fall asleep watching any feature-length film, that doesn’t mean I don’t know quality entertainment when I see it. And Bluey, the Australian series centered around a playful and lovable family of dogs, is one of the best damn shows on TV for the entire family (and also for childless 28-year-olds, apparently).

While Bluey episodes typically run seven to nine minutes long, this weekend for the first time ever, series creators released an extra-long, 30-minute episode. I watched the episode, titled ‘The Sign’, with my 4.5-year-old (the half is very important!) and here’s what we thought.

If you watched last week’s Bluey episode, ‘Ghost Basket’,then you already know that—gasp—the Heelers are selling their house. ‘The Sign’ picks up where ‘Ghost Basket’ left off, with potential buyers coming to look at the home. While Bingo is seemingly OK with this turn of events, Bluey is decidedly not. And this potential move (and all the feelings that come with it), plus a wedding, is ostensibly what the episode is about—but in typical Bluey fashion, the true meaning of the episode is so much deeper than that.

I laughed, I gasped, I got teary-eyed—watching ‘The Sign’ gave me all the feels. While I’m always in awe of the show’s clever storylines and beautiful animation, and frequently in giggles over the silly antics of the kids and their parents, not every episode pulls at the heartstrings. But this episode was truly a culmination of everything that makes Bluey great—it was funny, it was sweet, it was relatable and it was eye-opening. Without giving away any spoilers, the episode’s final takeaway about how things work out is a valuable lesson to littles and adults that made me breathe a sigh of relief about some of the stressors on my mind lately (incidentally, I too, am moving houses so this episode couldn’t have come at a better time).

I also loved that it was a real ensemble piece—all the greats were there, including Calypso, Grandpa Bob, Frisky, Uncle Rad, Uncle Stripe, Nana and my son’s favorite characters, Muffin and Socks. Unusually for the show, there was a ballad-like song featured in the episode that gave it a more cinematic feel than the usually short and quippy installments. All of which added gravitas to what felt like a true series finale.

Finally, I loved the nods to previous episodes and parent viewers (“The lookout! Frisky and I used to come up here to… think,” says Chili). Parent viewers who remember the ‘Onesies’ episode will be thrilled to see Aunt Brandy’s return (keep an eye out for her as she arrives at the wedding looking, well, a little different), and as the camera pans up, there’s Greeny balloon from ‘Mum School’ floating along. These and many more tidbits for loyal viewers abound.

“I loved it!” was my son’s earnest review. While he might not have been as moved as Mom by the episode’s tender message, he certainly laughed out loud the most (the scene where a butterfly makes its way into the car was a particular hit). He was also enthralled by the wedding scene (“I wish I could have a wedding like that!”) and loved that he could watch TV for a whole 30 uninterrupted minutes.

This extra-long episode of Bluey has all the usual playfulness, humor and takeaways that fans know and love, plus a few new additions to make ‘The Sign’ feel truly special and, dare I say, conclusive. Would I be devastated if this was the final episode of the series? I would certainly be sad to say goodbye to one of the few children’s shows on TV that appeals to both kids and adults, but this episode does feel like a satisfactory ending to our peek into the Heeler family’s lives. ‘The Sign’ is the series’ first extended-length special and premiered April 14 on Disney+.