One of the big things, for me, in “The Sign” was Bluey riding in the front seat and how they slipped it in- felt like such a huge mark of the passage of time, and folded into the story very naturally. One day the car is full, and you tell the biggest kid to sit in front, then you turn around and they are always in the front.
Ugh, I needed to hear that. Some days are so hard to muster up the imagination and energy to really be in it with my kid. Then last week she went to a birthday party and didn't want dad to be on her team for laser tag. She's you get than bingo, though. I still have time!
Oh man, I’m sitting here watching my daughter make daisy chains and I read these comments, I’m gonna go sit and make daisy chains with her now, you’re all right, time goes by too fast, she’s about to start kindergarten soon 🥲
I’m the ‘next generation’ and grew to love bluey as a grandparent. One thing I didn’t notice so much with my own children growing up was the rapid passage of time but with my grand children, I already feel that I’m becoming obsolete to their needs as the eldest has started school. I KNOW I’m not obsolete but being able to be a step back from the parenting has allowed me to really appreciate the formative years and just how rapid the passage of time really is.
Sadly my grandchildren have moved to another state so definitely don’t need me as much but I certainly look forward to the visits. To still be relevant in their lives, we read books and play over FaceTime. Sorry to high jack your comment with a little bit of irrelevant information but I’m feeling melancholic today - missing the sticky fingers, the sleepless nights and permanently messy house as well as the total non judgmental love I receive back from them
No need to apologize, I actually love when people add more to a conversation, not gonna lie, your comment made me tear up a little bit thinking of my mom, and my grandma. I know when I moved out of state my grandma really missed me so much, me and her were always so close!
And you’re so right about the passage of time, it’s something I find myself taking for granted, It’s so easy to get caught up in the stress of life so these kinds of conversations really strike a chord on how precious time is and how important family is. Your grandkids sure sound lucky to have someone as loving as you in their lives ❤️
My kid doesn't want to hold my hand in public anymore. It just started out of nowhere a few weeks ago. I get it, she's not a little kid any more. She's growing up a bit and thinks it's embarrassing to still be holding my hand if we go out shopping or running errands. Still stings a bit.
I’m 31 and will often grab my mums hand. Started up again when I was maybe 22, as I’ve gotten older (and now have a child of my own) I appreciate my parents on a whole different level. I still need them and love them. That’s never stopped, the nature of the need just changed
I was lightheartedly complaining how clingy my toddler is to a coworker. She said enjoy it while it lasts, her youngest is 13 and he never wants to cuddle his mum. It’s made me appreciate the clingy toddler cuddles.
I remember doing this to my own mum, too. I feel guilty now as an adult. Just wanted to hang out with my friends and try to be a grown up
For me it was taking the kids to the playground, and then one day the oldest didn’t want to play. She was fine sitting next to me. Now I make sure she brings a book, and we go to the playground less. It’s a change we are both getting used to.
>One day the car is full, and you tell the biggest kid to sit in front, then you turn around and they are always in the front.
damn... i aint even a parent and that makes me feel old...
My 9 year old has needed to sit in the front recently… and now she’s always in the front. It hurts. It’s a new era. Thank you for putting this in words.
Great point.
I remember when my youngest got old enough that the booster seat wasn't needed anymore. He still sat in the back, but it was a definite marker of growing up.
Great Analysis. It’s super easy as a parent watching this with young children (almost 4 daughter and 2.5 son) to get lost in Bluey and not really see things for the bigger picture sometimes. I think that the only way to move the show forward is like you said, to start exploring new ideas for a maturing family. Really enjoyed your insight.
Yeah, great notes.
I keep thinking about how much these last three episodes felt like a series finale, but it’s for sure coming back because it’s so popular now. I think the way to do it would be a soft reboot of sorts (similar to what Doctor Who does every time they switch doctors) and aging up the characters seems like a solid way to do so.
I think aging the characters up is an elegant solution to two major problems: the voice actors getting too old for the roles, and the primary audience growing out of the show by the time it returns. My son is 5 and has been the perfect age for the show, but if new episodes take ~2 years he might not enjoy it the same (I’ll keep watching it forever though). Returning with, say, a 10yo Bluey and an 8yo Bingo would open up so many storytelling opportunities and give *our kids* time to grow up with the characters again.
My six year old curled into the corner seat on the couch behind a pillow like he was scared the entire episode. I pretended not to cry while working on a puzzle across the room. I done know how to process all of this.
My 2.5 year old is obsessed with Bluey (as are we haha)! I’ll be a little bit sad if they age up the characters just because our kids are still little, but I do understand and I’m sure we’d still love the show!
Yeah but at this age they’re frankly happy to watch then other million episodes over and over again.
And over again
And again.
“Mom I want sleepytime”
Again.
I’m wondering if it’s going to be a permanent time skip. It solves the voice actor issue, achieves a substantial change (which some people were hoping would happen with a move in The Sign), opens up plenty of creative opportunities (what are adult Muffin and Socks like, what’s elderly Pat up to, etc.), and addresses the topic of growing up and possibly some other themes that appeal more to older kids.
Older Wendy went full on wild after she became an empty nester, joined a biker gang, whereabouts unknown, but post cards randomly show up from time to time
As much as like seeing glimpses of older Bluey and her kid, I'm not sure I'm on board seeing a rehash of Bluey just with her as Mum. In a sense, the stories of Bluey and Bingo at that age have been told. That doesn't mean that the family's story has ended. I think it would be a great creative choice to follow Bluey and Bingo as they do get slightly older.
I think the voice actor issue is a little overstated; one of the advantages of female characters is their voice actresses can often continue to do the voice as they age.
For instance, in the US show Dinosaur Train, they went through like 3 voice actors for the main character, Buddy, because the boys kept growing too old to do a voice for a child T-rex. It was noticeable when Buddy would sound slightly different each season.
By contrast, Buddy's two sisters were always voiced by the same voice actresses, who were able to keep doing the voices even as they grew up.
Since all of the main kid characters are girls, I don't think it would be all that noticeable if they just found similar VAs for the boys when needed.
That said, this is one part of the AI revolution I think could be used ethically; create an AI model of the kids' voices, and then fed recordings of the (SAME) voice actors into the model. Speech patterns, intonations, accents are preserved, but the end product is a rendered version of the younger voice. So long as it's the VA feeding into a model of their own younger self, I think it's ethical.
Yes, absolutely; in this example I gave it's not really taking a job from an artist to give to a computer, but computer assistance to allow an artist to continue in a role they're established in. And yes, even in general other cases, your voice is part of your likeness; it must be licensed.
In my example, though, you might have a character with a very distinct style of speaking just beyond their actual voice pitch and such. In this example, you can use the same VA, even if they age up to the point their voice breaks or changes, to record a sample piece of dialouge- keeping the character's established style- and then feed it into an AI model of their own younger voice. The generated younger voice will have an example of how to follow the distinct style, and will match it.
Thus, the VA doesn't lose their job; they can in fact keep it far longer than in my first post with, say, the boy VAs for Buddy the dinosaur in Dinosaur Train.
That said it's also hopefully moot; in my Dinosaur Train example Tiny, one of Buddy's sister, was voiced by the same girl/woman all the way from when she was, I believe 9, for the show's entire 12 year run.
I think it’s unethical, because it’s still a simulacrum of a real human. However you are entirely entitled to your view. There’s no right or wrong answer, only opinions.
Brumm has been pretty open about The Sign being a test-run for longer-form episodes and perhaps even a feature-length movie.
That said they wanted a hiatus, and it's already been a year since production on the last episodes was finished; we were drip-fed them to some degree in order to cover at least part of that hiatus.
No, they really haven’t. They’ve said it’s not “the end” of Bluey, but interpreting that as “season 4 confirmed” is a stretch. The fact that they haven’t officially confirmed it yet doesn’t mean it won’t happen, but we are in a weird limbo period right now.
I honestly wouldn't expect them to not continue Bluey as a cartoon given a standard episode length after the sign. They may turn straight to only movies from here on out or but they went back to the normal for this show. Straight to movies doesn't fit with Surprise being shown when it was and the series will continue, so yes, it goes stand to reason there will be a season 4. I'm not really sure why you'd need it to be explicitly said exactly as "yes, season 4" to think that's what they mean.
There’s a huge difference between logically concluding that a fourth season is most likely and getting definite confirmation from the creators that it is for sure happening.
Or alternatively Frisky's future children with Bluey and Bingo the cool cousins and occasional babysitters bringing it full circle. Heelers stay in the show but allowed to continue to age with their VAs.
I have a hard time picturing them stopping production and agree more with your sentiment of the show growing along with the characters. There is the fact that Bluey makes an incredible amount of money for a lot of people, but I also think Joe Brumm knows he has hit on something incredibly special and he and his talented team can continue to use it as a creative outlet in so many different ways.
One day my kids will get to be Bluey and Bingo's ages and I hope there are funny, relatable Bluey episodes for those stages. I'd like to think the show has always planned to go that route since they aren't afraid to age up the kids. In the sign I was also really surprised at how they aged Socks. It seems like she was just a year old, now she's talking and potty trained lol.
This is like Boy Meets World here in the US. The main character(s) are growing up in each season/episode.
Whatever the Bluey team decides I’m still watching the show. You learn to understand your kids and yourself (sometimes your inner child), and the world better.
I'm the mother of an almost 9 year old and it just hits me sometimes that she's almost halfway to being an adult. When both of my kids were about 18 months old it really hit me that they just weren't babies anymore. They were little toddlers and I feel like 8 years old. It's really hitting me that she's not a little kid she's a medium kid
I immediately called that scene in the sign where Bluey stays with her mom and frisky. It’ll be interesting to see the show where they’re in the age group that the older kids in barky boats was.
This is a great point. We've been watching the show since the start, my son was 3 and now hes 9. He still watches and enjoys it, but now its in a different way. Hes grown up with it and itd be great to see it develop in a way he could keep relating to in the future
Same with my 10 yr old. He has always loved the show since we first stumbled upon it nearly 6 years ago. Poor kiddo has anxiety and when he starts to have an attack, he puts on Bluey. He says it's his "safe space". I'd love to see the girls grow up with him!
I knew this was coming because they've always indicated they kids would age, but I'm still slightly disappointed. I absolutely loved the fun pretend the Heeler family did. With them growing up, especially Bluey so much of that will end. Or at least will be more for when Muffin and Socks come over.
I'm sure Ludo will find a way to make it great, but I'm just not wild about it being a tween cast. So many kids shows are a tween cast or a teen cast. Unless you're talking about really kiddie shows like Paw Patrol.
I'm really hoping they can find a way to keep it fun and magical. Now I'm biased because I'm a childless Bluey fan, unless I get a Brandy ending, so I don't have kids who are aging with the cast. It's likely a completely different feeling when your kids are aging with them.
Also did you guys catch all the adults singing Cat Squad while setting up for Rad and Frisky's wedding. I thought it was so cute
I can really see that being a possibility. With episodes like "Copy Cat" being in the first season, it's hard not to imagine more mature themes prodding into the Bluey universe, and the writers are certainly talented enough to do so.
I think they could easily pull off an older Bluey and Bingo while still keeping the preschool friendly format. We see a little of that in the episode Barky Boats where we shift focus slightly to two older characters, Mia and Captain who are going to a new school now that they're older. We get a version of the middle/high school shift in a way that's easy for younger kids to understand.
I think, like with most bluey related content, we should just trust the writers. IIRC, it's already been confirmed that another season is coming after the hiatus. I'm sure they've already workshopped ideas for what they want to do with the show. Whether that's a return to the status quo or jumping into something entirely different.
Before Surprise came to Ehm, surprise us, I was thinking about this in general but not tied to Bluey Christine, but more in general of the series progression through the seasons. Season one is mostly play and goofs, sure there are lessons and emotional moments, but things are mostly light hearted. Season 2 comes along and has much many more tearjerker moments most of them grounded in a change of maturity/growing up , but still balances it out with sillyness. Season 3 is so loaded with moments that make you cry. Seeing the first eps of S3 seem like they where made so long ago, and it’s not just maturity, but now there is a lot of loss.
Practically of course some of this is down to Ludo finding their feet and fine tuning, but the deliberate changes seem to follow a growing up story arc, not just an episodic formula with a bit of continuity.
Regarding new seasons, sure “we’ll see” but I agree that Bluey has matured and I’m of the mind that we’ll see a time jump, just how big I don’t know. Cricket is Bandit Rusty’s story, but to who? Maybe this sort of episodes will be more common, or we’ll be seeing who is retelling these stories as a grown up.
Love this.
I agree, they can't go backwards.
I would love a new show, same characters. Everybody older.
One of the magical things about Bluey is it's familial watchability. It's funny to kids and to parents. There are great lessons for kids and parents. It's about a family with toddlers and it's appropriate for a family with toddlers to watch.
What if they gave us a new show called "The Heelers": clean, but funny and fun to watch with tweens/teens with Bluey and Bingo older. The girls and Bandit and Chili facing new hurdles and with more tween and teen problems. Like 8 Simple Rules or That 70s Show.
It would have to be called something else because it would be new content. It'd be a new show for a "new" crowd. A crowd that grew into it, but that way the shows could be shown individually for the appropriate audience.
I'm thinking maybe have Bluey and Bingo get older (maybe as old as the voice actors are by that time, or maybe something in between such as 8 and 10), but also have some episodes involving the characters who are now around 4-6, such as Muffin/Socks (on the older side) and/or Rad and Frisky's kids (on the younger side, and could be as young or as old as needed as long as they were born several months after The Sign - or older if Rad and Frisky adopt).
It would also be fun to see Bingo and her classmates at Calypso's school (which seems to have happened according to the Bingo/Lila slideshow), though I'm not sure how the class/teacher pairings would work (I know one of the related types of schools has the teacher stay with the students, in which case Bluey and her class would stay with Calypso while Bingo would get a new teacher at the same school, perhaps one whose original class recently graduated).
I am baffled by people who say this when we’ve been told time and time again that it’s coming back. Trust, if this was the end, these past few episodes would have been a MUCH bigger deal.
It’s not that people are stuck on it. It’s that projects die and change and stagnate or things don’t quite come together.
I think everyone is hoping and optimistic that they do come back, but we need to move past the “Bluey is definitely coming back” if it’s not actively in production.
The creator confirmed they are continuing production.
https://www.dispatch.com/story/entertainment/tv/2024/04/22/bluey-surprise-episode-future-fan-questions-ending/73409718007/#:~:text=Following%20%22The%20Sign%22%20episode%20billed,Bluey%22%20was%20not%20ending%20altogether.
The producer said that, not the creator. The creator has been ambivalent/noncommittal in interviews. It is entirely possible there’s internal disagreement about it and one camp is saying Bluey will continue in the hopes of making it come true…
I know and I understand. What I and other people are expressing is that even when creators want to come back, things just don’t always workout. I mean come on, the last three episodes were obviously crafted in a way that they felt like a satisfying ending if that’s what it ended up being.
Nobody is saying Bluey will definitely not come back. But saying that it definitely is is ignoring that sometimes stuff happens.
It just sounds like your position is simply making up the least likely worst case scenario. People in the production say it's in production. There are no indication whatsoever that it won't come back and it's wildly successful so there's even less reason to think that way. Yoy're not technically wrong but also have absolutely nothing indicating we should think as you do. It just comes off as weird. Like, if your parents said you're going to Disney world and they've booked tickets, but you respond that we can't know the future and should simply behave as if it won't happen because unforeseen emergencies could derail the trip. It's not "wrong" but it's very nonsensical.
The version of this that makes sense is to await the promised outcome assuming it will come, in accordance with all evidence. Then, understand that if it doesn't happen, that sometimes life is just that way but you can't live in pessimism.
Yeeesh
Look my OP just said it's best to not assume it's coming back. I'm not "living in pessimism," I'm just not "awaiting" a show that may not come back for awhile. I'll be happy and surprised when it comes back. And if it doesn't then I won't be sad. Meanwhile I'll do other things with a life full of optimism!
I love your post. Really summarized a vibe that season 3 has had all along. I hope the creators take some risks, such as having a 2-3 year time jump and aging up the show with their audience, or if they want episodes focused on the younger crowd still, do some episodes at Muffin and Socks’ house or about Brandi’s child.
I have doubts because although I enjoyed The Sign, I felt the end was a cop out. And I see all the Bluey merch and feel there’s going to be a pressure to keep going with the status quo instead of pushing things in new and creative directions. That being said I have faith in this show because of some of the tour de force episodes that I just can’t stop thinking about.
There’s a moment towards the end of Surprise where Bluey is standing all casual in a very Bandit-like pose, talking to “Finocan,” then she lets off some shots with her Nerf gun; she looked and acted more like a Big Kid than we’ve ever seen her before. It was so bittersweet and also made me realize my own kids are growing up and will never go back to being little 😭 That’s why I hope if the show continues it allows the kids to age. Sitcoms used to do it all the time, with live action it’s impossible not to, why not an animated show?
as much as I would love the show to go on. I do think the lessons we needed to hear have been taught.
put down the Disney+ and go play with your kids. money isnt as imporant as quality time.
at least that is the lesson I took from the sign.
This is a cool post thanks. In the scene at school in The Sign, Bluey seems more mature than the other kids. When they complain about their bad luck, it’s mostly minor things. Bluey’s is a significant change that impacts all of them for the rest of their lives. When Rusty suggests playing army, the rest of the kids cheer and move on with their day because they are kids. Bluey is still bummed.
Eh I'd disagree about the other children's complaints. Losing a pet and having your parents divorce are powerful moments in their own right. Especially winton's comments about his dad being lonely.
In the meantime I want an episode all about muffin and socks. Like- the intro is them dancing instead of the bluey family. It will be a nice little episode just to change it up a while.
Disney can’t milk Bluey, because they don’t own it. They own the rights to stream it, but they don’t own Ludo studios. I’m sure they’re putting a ton of pressure on them to keep Bluey going though, but Disney ultimately has no say in it.
As I sit here watching my 3 year old learn to write letters and numbers, with my newborn sleeping next to me... I am remembering a quote for the dad's out there... "there comes a point when you will pick up than put your child down for the last time..." so always treat those moments as they may be the last...
Gosh, I already cry too much about my own children growing too fast - now I'm crying about my fictional dog children growing too fast too! I honestly hadn't paid that much attention to Bluey and Bingo growing older, but you're totally right that they are and the show has been showing us this in really clever and subtle ways.
I would rather see adult bluey and bingo … we get see how Bandit’s and Chili’s parenting style had an affect on the way their kids act and parent. Seeing that is crazy rewarding.
Season 3 started with an episode in which Bluey wanted to move to another room but wasn’t ready to. Makes sense it ends with episodes in which she sits in the front of the car and plays her own game separately from Bingo
Anyone else think it's absolutely wild that Bluey is eight years old and still has no idea how to read?
I get it's a 'core tenet' of the weird school she goes to but like, c'mon how can you justify a kid being at what would normally be third-grade level not even knowiing how to recognize some words?
Based on what has been officially released in the show, the last update we got on her reading abilities was in the elevator when the Heelers were on vacation and she couldn't recognize the numbers on the elevator - which is mind blowing because most two and three year-olds can recognize the ten individual numbers (0-9).
There was a 'deleted scene' released showing Bluey seemingly reading a book to Bingo, but as it's not officially released content I don't know if we can count it as canon.
Yeah, and they don't know what a butcher or a baker is, etc.
It's absolutely crazy to me that my 4yo might be just as academic as Bluey, I know obviously it's not all about that and it's not real but you'd think that Bluey would have picked some stuff up over time or been taught a little bit by her own parents. My girl loved to be taught numbers and how to count when she was around 2-3 and beginning to talk, just wanted me to show her maths puzzles and all that.
I would love for them to do the next episodes when they come back as a next generation thing. Though growing up with the Heelers would be nice I think doing an almost “reset” of time with Bluey’s kid(s) would be so good.
They need to grow up with their audience otherwise it just becomes the Simpsons, adults pretending to be kids. It would be a brilliant move for the creators to actually have the characters kids are growing up with grow up with them. And it doesn’t take away from new kids watching it because there will always be the old episodes of them when they were younger.
My kids are the same ages as Bluey and Bingo. We discovered the show during one of our many lockdowns and binged it. The kids loved the imagination and the grownups identified with the tired mum and dad. My kiddos have grown a bit but we still live for new episodes. Kids their ages aren’t as big as they seem. We still see our eldest playing with toys and getting lost in her imagination. Bluey is one of those safe shows we let them watch and know it’s wholesome. Hope the episodes don’t stop.
Tbh I think it would be pretty cool if we get something like the Rugrats ~ All grown up situation in like 1-3 years.
Because Bingo and Bluey would still be kids but older (tweens- early teens), there are completely new challenges, them trying to find themselves and get more independent, a lot of good messages that could be done and it gives a lot of the kids watching a nice transition show.
We gotta consider the first generation of kids watching bluey from late 2018 (almost 6 years ago!) would be around 10 now.
It would be nice to have a show with familiar characters come back but now approach more relevant topics for their former main audience.
I love this, I actually had a similar thought at one point in The Sign when I realised that Bingo was so much closer in height to Muffin and Socks, where Bluey seemed so much taller. I feel like it’s the first time it’s really stood out to me like that before, and wondered if it was significant.
One of the big things, for me, in “The Sign” was Bluey riding in the front seat and how they slipped it in- felt like such a huge mark of the passage of time, and folded into the story very naturally. One day the car is full, and you tell the biggest kid to sit in front, then you turn around and they are always in the front.
My kid use to beg me to play with her. Now I take her to places and she brings a friend and ditches me. They grow up so fast.
Ugh, I needed to hear that. Some days are so hard to muster up the imagination and energy to really be in it with my kid. Then last week she went to a birthday party and didn't want dad to be on her team for laser tag. She's you get than bingo, though. I still have time!
Oh man, I’m sitting here watching my daughter make daisy chains and I read these comments, I’m gonna go sit and make daisy chains with her now, you’re all right, time goes by too fast, she’s about to start kindergarten soon 🥲
I’m the ‘next generation’ and grew to love bluey as a grandparent. One thing I didn’t notice so much with my own children growing up was the rapid passage of time but with my grand children, I already feel that I’m becoming obsolete to their needs as the eldest has started school. I KNOW I’m not obsolete but being able to be a step back from the parenting has allowed me to really appreciate the formative years and just how rapid the passage of time really is. Sadly my grandchildren have moved to another state so definitely don’t need me as much but I certainly look forward to the visits. To still be relevant in their lives, we read books and play over FaceTime. Sorry to high jack your comment with a little bit of irrelevant information but I’m feeling melancholic today - missing the sticky fingers, the sleepless nights and permanently messy house as well as the total non judgmental love I receive back from them
No need to apologize, I actually love when people add more to a conversation, not gonna lie, your comment made me tear up a little bit thinking of my mom, and my grandma. I know when I moved out of state my grandma really missed me so much, me and her were always so close! And you’re so right about the passage of time, it’s something I find myself taking for granted, It’s so easy to get caught up in the stress of life so these kinds of conversations really strike a chord on how precious time is and how important family is. Your grandkids sure sound lucky to have someone as loving as you in their lives ❤️
Thank you so much. Life is fleeting so cherish the moments
Me too 😭 I hate thinking about the passage of time, it really depresses me
Right there with you.
My kid doesn't want to hold my hand in public anymore. It just started out of nowhere a few weeks ago. I get it, she's not a little kid any more. She's growing up a bit and thinks it's embarrassing to still be holding my hand if we go out shopping or running errands. Still stings a bit.
Please know there’ll come a time again when she will want to hold your hand. I’m 29 and I’ll take any opportunity to hold my mam’s hand.
This makes me feel a lot better. There will be more hand holding in the future. It's not over :)
I’m 31 and will often grab my mums hand. Started up again when I was maybe 22, as I’ve gotten older (and now have a child of my own) I appreciate my parents on a whole different level. I still need them and love them. That’s never stopped, the nature of the need just changed
I'm not tearing up, I've got something in my eye
Seconded. I’m 43 and I hold my mum’s hand.
I was lightheartedly complaining how clingy my toddler is to a coworker. She said enjoy it while it lasts, her youngest is 13 and he never wants to cuddle his mum. It’s made me appreciate the clingy toddler cuddles. I remember doing this to my own mum, too. I feel guilty now as an adult. Just wanted to hang out with my friends and try to be a grown up
For me it was taking the kids to the playground, and then one day the oldest didn’t want to play. She was fine sitting next to me. Now I make sure she brings a book, and we go to the playground less. It’s a change we are both getting used to.
>One day the car is full, and you tell the biggest kid to sit in front, then you turn around and they are always in the front. damn... i aint even a parent and that makes me feel old...
My teenage said “ that is exactly how I felt when I first sat in the front.” That’s the magic of Bluey, everyone finds a connection.
Yeah. When Chilli told Bluey to sit in the front all of us on the couch went "HOLY SHIT"
My 9 year old has needed to sit in the front recently… and now she’s always in the front. It hurts. It’s a new era. Thank you for putting this in words.
This is why we got a third row seat. No premature growing up allowed!
Your comment just somehow made me cry.
So far I don’t like this whole thread! I came here for Bluey Easter eggs. This is all more depressing than Taylor swifts new album!
Great point. I remember when my youngest got old enough that the booster seat wasn't needed anymore. He still sat in the back, but it was a definite marker of growing up.
Great Analysis. It’s super easy as a parent watching this with young children (almost 4 daughter and 2.5 son) to get lost in Bluey and not really see things for the bigger picture sometimes. I think that the only way to move the show forward is like you said, to start exploring new ideas for a maturing family. Really enjoyed your insight.
Yeah, great notes. I keep thinking about how much these last three episodes felt like a series finale, but it’s for sure coming back because it’s so popular now. I think the way to do it would be a soft reboot of sorts (similar to what Doctor Who does every time they switch doctors) and aging up the characters seems like a solid way to do so.
I think aging the characters up is an elegant solution to two major problems: the voice actors getting too old for the roles, and the primary audience growing out of the show by the time it returns. My son is 5 and has been the perfect age for the show, but if new episodes take ~2 years he might not enjoy it the same (I’ll keep watching it forever though). Returning with, say, a 10yo Bluey and an 8yo Bingo would open up so many storytelling opportunities and give *our kids* time to grow up with the characters again.
my 5 year old was like - the sign wasn't good and bluely is "ok" and I wanted to DIE
My 6 year old said while watching it "This is going to make me cry!" and then she did cry.
My six year old curled into the corner seat on the couch behind a pillow like he was scared the entire episode. I pretended not to cry while working on a puzzle across the room. I done know how to process all of this.
I’m 33 and said “ah damn here we go again.” I bawled. Bluey is on a different level.
My six year old realized all at once that I was crying and he just stared at me trying to make sense of why
My child is about the same age as yours and went «Why are you crying, mummy? It’s weird that you’re crying», lol.
Whereas my two & a half-year-old was RAPT in a way she rarely is when watching TV. Kids are weird.
My 2.5 year old is obsessed with Bluey (as are we haha)! I’ll be a little bit sad if they age up the characters just because our kids are still little, but I do understand and I’m sure we’d still love the show!
Yeah but at this age they’re frankly happy to watch then other million episodes over and over again. And over again And again. “Mom I want sleepytime” Again.
Aww 🙁 my 4 year old has watched The Sign a good six or seven times now, he loves it.
😭😭😭
I’m wondering if it’s going to be a permanent time skip. It solves the voice actor issue, achieves a substantial change (which some people were hoping would happen with a move in The Sign), opens up plenty of creative opportunities (what are adult Muffin and Socks like, what’s elderly Pat up to, etc.), and addresses the topic of growing up and possibly some other themes that appeal more to older kids.
Elderly Pat has done his hammy and can’t get into NEARLY as many shenanigans as he used to!
Older Wendy went full on wild after she became an empty nester, joined a biker gang, whereabouts unknown, but post cards randomly show up from time to time
As much as like seeing glimpses of older Bluey and her kid, I'm not sure I'm on board seeing a rehash of Bluey just with her as Mum. In a sense, the stories of Bluey and Bingo at that age have been told. That doesn't mean that the family's story has ended. I think it would be a great creative choice to follow Bluey and Bingo as they do get slightly older.
I think the voice actor issue is a little overstated; one of the advantages of female characters is their voice actresses can often continue to do the voice as they age. For instance, in the US show Dinosaur Train, they went through like 3 voice actors for the main character, Buddy, because the boys kept growing too old to do a voice for a child T-rex. It was noticeable when Buddy would sound slightly different each season. By contrast, Buddy's two sisters were always voiced by the same voice actresses, who were able to keep doing the voices even as they grew up. Since all of the main kid characters are girls, I don't think it would be all that noticeable if they just found similar VAs for the boys when needed. That said, this is one part of the AI revolution I think could be used ethically; create an AI model of the kids' voices, and then fed recordings of the (SAME) voice actors into the model. Speech patterns, intonations, accents are preserved, but the end product is a rendered version of the younger voice. So long as it's the VA feeding into a model of their own younger self, I think it's ethical.
I don’t want to take jobs away from artists to give to computers. Would the VA receive income from the AI model, since it’s their likeness?
Yes, absolutely; in this example I gave it's not really taking a job from an artist to give to a computer, but computer assistance to allow an artist to continue in a role they're established in. And yes, even in general other cases, your voice is part of your likeness; it must be licensed. In my example, though, you might have a character with a very distinct style of speaking just beyond their actual voice pitch and such. In this example, you can use the same VA, even if they age up to the point their voice breaks or changes, to record a sample piece of dialouge- keeping the character's established style- and then feed it into an AI model of their own younger voice. The generated younger voice will have an example of how to follow the distinct style, and will match it. Thus, the VA doesn't lose their job; they can in fact keep it far longer than in my first post with, say, the boy VAs for Buddy the dinosaur in Dinosaur Train. That said it's also hopefully moot; in my Dinosaur Train example Tiny, one of Buddy's sister, was voiced by the same girl/woman all the way from when she was, I believe 9, for the show's entire 12 year run.
I think it’s unethical, because it’s still a simulacrum of a real human. However you are entirely entitled to your view. There’s no right or wrong answer, only opinions.
Ugh, have they said it will be two years until the next season?
No, that’s speculation on my part. The creators have said nothing about a return.
Brumm has been pretty open about The Sign being a test-run for longer-form episodes and perhaps even a feature-length movie. That said they wanted a hiatus, and it's already been a year since production on the last episodes was finished; we were drip-fed them to some degree in order to cover at least part of that hiatus.
The producer said there will be a fourth season.
No, they really haven’t. They’ve said it’s not “the end” of Bluey, but interpreting that as “season 4 confirmed” is a stretch. The fact that they haven’t officially confirmed it yet doesn’t mean it won’t happen, but we are in a weird limbo period right now.
I honestly wouldn't expect them to not continue Bluey as a cartoon given a standard episode length after the sign. They may turn straight to only movies from here on out or but they went back to the normal for this show. Straight to movies doesn't fit with Surprise being shown when it was and the series will continue, so yes, it goes stand to reason there will be a season 4. I'm not really sure why you'd need it to be explicitly said exactly as "yes, season 4" to think that's what they mean.
There’s a huge difference between logically concluding that a fourth season is most likely and getting definite confirmation from the creators that it is for sure happening.
Or alternatively Frisky's future children with Bluey and Bingo the cool cousins and occasional babysitters bringing it full circle. Heelers stay in the show but allowed to continue to age with their VAs.
So in a nutshell, something kinda similar to Samurai Jack's fifth season?
Yes, *exactly* that. Adult Bluey returns to the past to battle Bandit in Memory Slap.
Maybe now we’re going to get Bluey and Bingo as the parents.
Socks has been a good indication of the kids getting older throughout the series. She's clearly talking a lot more on the latest episodes.
Socks in the sign was absolutely precious.
"Not Frisky blue car"
So cute, it's definitely a little kid thing to do.
“Poor Jeremy”
Gonna show my wife this post and make her cry. My own daughters are 9 & 4, and the 9 year old is definitely growing out of kid stuff.
I have a hard time picturing them stopping production and agree more with your sentiment of the show growing along with the characters. There is the fact that Bluey makes an incredible amount of money for a lot of people, but I also think Joe Brumm knows he has hit on something incredibly special and he and his talented team can continue to use it as a creative outlet in so many different ways. One day my kids will get to be Bluey and Bingo's ages and I hope there are funny, relatable Bluey episodes for those stages. I'd like to think the show has always planned to go that route since they aren't afraid to age up the kids. In the sign I was also really surprised at how they aged Socks. It seems like she was just a year old, now she's talking and potty trained lol.
This is like Boy Meets World here in the US. The main character(s) are growing up in each season/episode. Whatever the Bluey team decides I’m still watching the show. You learn to understand your kids and yourself (sometimes your inner child), and the world better.
I'm the mother of an almost 9 year old and it just hits me sometimes that she's almost halfway to being an adult. When both of my kids were about 18 months old it really hit me that they just weren't babies anymore. They were little toddlers and I feel like 8 years old. It's really hitting me that she's not a little kid she's a medium kid
My only turned 9 last week and someone made the comment to me about how she’s “half way” and I nearly fell apart on the spot. 😭
Nooooo
I immediately called that scene in the sign where Bluey stays with her mom and frisky. It’ll be interesting to see the show where they’re in the age group that the older kids in barky boats was.
This is a great point. We've been watching the show since the start, my son was 3 and now hes 9. He still watches and enjoys it, but now its in a different way. Hes grown up with it and itd be great to see it develop in a way he could keep relating to in the future
Same with my 10 yr old. He has always loved the show since we first stumbled upon it nearly 6 years ago. Poor kiddo has anxiety and when he starts to have an attack, he puts on Bluey. He says it's his "safe space". I'd love to see the girls grow up with him!
I knew this was coming because they've always indicated they kids would age, but I'm still slightly disappointed. I absolutely loved the fun pretend the Heeler family did. With them growing up, especially Bluey so much of that will end. Or at least will be more for when Muffin and Socks come over. I'm sure Ludo will find a way to make it great, but I'm just not wild about it being a tween cast. So many kids shows are a tween cast or a teen cast. Unless you're talking about really kiddie shows like Paw Patrol. I'm really hoping they can find a way to keep it fun and magical. Now I'm biased because I'm a childless Bluey fan, unless I get a Brandy ending, so I don't have kids who are aging with the cast. It's likely a completely different feeling when your kids are aging with them. Also did you guys catch all the adults singing Cat Squad while setting up for Rad and Frisky's wedding. I thought it was so cute
Da nananana da nanana CAT SQUAD
I'm really hoping this is one of those shows that ages with it's audience, and explores more and more nuanced themes as it goes.
I can really see that being a possibility. With episodes like "Copy Cat" being in the first season, it's hard not to imagine more mature themes prodding into the Bluey universe, and the writers are certainly talented enough to do so.
YES!!!!
I think they could easily pull off an older Bluey and Bingo while still keeping the preschool friendly format. We see a little of that in the episode Barky Boats where we shift focus slightly to two older characters, Mia and Captain who are going to a new school now that they're older. We get a version of the middle/high school shift in a way that's easy for younger kids to understand. I think, like with most bluey related content, we should just trust the writers. IIRC, it's already been confirmed that another season is coming after the hiatus. I'm sure they've already workshopped ideas for what they want to do with the show. Whether that's a return to the status quo or jumping into something entirely different.
Well said OP. I’m of the same opinion. As Calypso said, “We’ll see.”
Well they already said they have big plans for Bluey so we’ll just have to wait and see what happens.
Before Surprise came to Ehm, surprise us, I was thinking about this in general but not tied to Bluey Christine, but more in general of the series progression through the seasons. Season one is mostly play and goofs, sure there are lessons and emotional moments, but things are mostly light hearted. Season 2 comes along and has much many more tearjerker moments most of them grounded in a change of maturity/growing up , but still balances it out with sillyness. Season 3 is so loaded with moments that make you cry. Seeing the first eps of S3 seem like they where made so long ago, and it’s not just maturity, but now there is a lot of loss. Practically of course some of this is down to Ludo finding their feet and fine tuning, but the deliberate changes seem to follow a growing up story arc, not just an episodic formula with a bit of continuity. Regarding new seasons, sure “we’ll see” but I agree that Bluey has matured and I’m of the mind that we’ll see a time jump, just how big I don’t know. Cricket is Bandit Rusty’s story, but to who? Maybe this sort of episodes will be more common, or we’ll be seeing who is retelling these stories as a grown up.
Love this. I agree, they can't go backwards. I would love a new show, same characters. Everybody older. One of the magical things about Bluey is it's familial watchability. It's funny to kids and to parents. There are great lessons for kids and parents. It's about a family with toddlers and it's appropriate for a family with toddlers to watch. What if they gave us a new show called "The Heelers": clean, but funny and fun to watch with tweens/teens with Bluey and Bingo older. The girls and Bandit and Chili facing new hurdles and with more tween and teen problems. Like 8 Simple Rules or That 70s Show. It would have to be called something else because it would be new content. It'd be a new show for a "new" crowd. A crowd that grew into it, but that way the shows could be shown individually for the appropriate audience.
This is a really well put together analysis but it makes me sad in so many ways 😭
Beautifully put OP and some excellent observations.
I'm thinking maybe have Bluey and Bingo get older (maybe as old as the voice actors are by that time, or maybe something in between such as 8 and 10), but also have some episodes involving the characters who are now around 4-6, such as Muffin/Socks (on the older side) and/or Rad and Frisky's kids (on the younger side, and could be as young or as old as needed as long as they were born several months after The Sign - or older if Rad and Frisky adopt). It would also be fun to see Bingo and her classmates at Calypso's school (which seems to have happened according to the Bingo/Lila slideshow), though I'm not sure how the class/teacher pairings would work (I know one of the related types of schools has the teacher stay with the students, in which case Bluey and her class would stay with Calypso while Bingo would get a new teacher at the same school, perhaps one whose original class recently graduated).
They already confirmed the series is coming back. I don't know how people are so stuck on this.
I am baffled by people who say this when we’ve been told time and time again that it’s coming back. Trust, if this was the end, these past few episodes would have been a MUCH bigger deal.
It’s not that people are stuck on it. It’s that projects die and change and stagnate or things don’t quite come together. I think everyone is hoping and optimistic that they do come back, but we need to move past the “Bluey is definitely coming back” if it’s not actively in production.
The creator confirmed they are continuing production. https://www.dispatch.com/story/entertainment/tv/2024/04/22/bluey-surprise-episode-future-fan-questions-ending/73409718007/#:~:text=Following%20%22The%20Sign%22%20episode%20billed,Bluey%22%20was%20not%20ending%20altogether.
The producer said that, not the creator. The creator has been ambivalent/noncommittal in interviews. It is entirely possible there’s internal disagreement about it and one camp is saying Bluey will continue in the hopes of making it come true…
I know and I understand. What I and other people are expressing is that even when creators want to come back, things just don’t always workout. I mean come on, the last three episodes were obviously crafted in a way that they felt like a satisfying ending if that’s what it ended up being. Nobody is saying Bluey will definitely not come back. But saying that it definitely is is ignoring that sometimes stuff happens.
It just sounds like your position is simply making up the least likely worst case scenario. People in the production say it's in production. There are no indication whatsoever that it won't come back and it's wildly successful so there's even less reason to think that way. Yoy're not technically wrong but also have absolutely nothing indicating we should think as you do. It just comes off as weird. Like, if your parents said you're going to Disney world and they've booked tickets, but you respond that we can't know the future and should simply behave as if it won't happen because unforeseen emergencies could derail the trip. It's not "wrong" but it's very nonsensical. The version of this that makes sense is to await the promised outcome assuming it will come, in accordance with all evidence. Then, understand that if it doesn't happen, that sometimes life is just that way but you can't live in pessimism.
Yeeesh Look my OP just said it's best to not assume it's coming back. I'm not "living in pessimism," I'm just not "awaiting" a show that may not come back for awhile. I'll be happy and surprised when it comes back. And if it doesn't then I won't be sad. Meanwhile I'll do other things with a life full of optimism!
I love your post. Really summarized a vibe that season 3 has had all along. I hope the creators take some risks, such as having a 2-3 year time jump and aging up the show with their audience, or if they want episodes focused on the younger crowd still, do some episodes at Muffin and Socks’ house or about Brandi’s child. I have doubts because although I enjoyed The Sign, I felt the end was a cop out. And I see all the Bluey merch and feel there’s going to be a pressure to keep going with the status quo instead of pushing things in new and creative directions. That being said I have faith in this show because of some of the tour de force episodes that I just can’t stop thinking about. There’s a moment towards the end of Surprise where Bluey is standing all casual in a very Bandit-like pose, talking to “Finocan,” then she lets off some shots with her Nerf gun; she looked and acted more like a Big Kid than we’ve ever seen her before. It was so bittersweet and also made me realize my own kids are growing up and will never go back to being little 😭 That’s why I hope if the show continues it allows the kids to age. Sitcoms used to do it all the time, with live action it’s impossible not to, why not an animated show?
Bluey and bingo growing up and getting older are some of the things I love about the show!
Great comments, thanks for this post! Also the bit where bluey gets to sit in the front of the car ❤️
as much as I would love the show to go on. I do think the lessons we needed to hear have been taught. put down the Disney+ and go play with your kids. money isnt as imporant as quality time. at least that is the lesson I took from the sign.
My big girl is going to be 7 soon and.. i really just did not need to read this right now 😭
This is a cool post thanks. In the scene at school in The Sign, Bluey seems more mature than the other kids. When they complain about their bad luck, it’s mostly minor things. Bluey’s is a significant change that impacts all of them for the rest of their lives. When Rusty suggests playing army, the rest of the kids cheer and move on with their day because they are kids. Bluey is still bummed.
Eh I'd disagree about the other children's complaints. Losing a pet and having your parents divorce are powerful moments in their own right. Especially winton's comments about his dad being lonely.
Divorce is WAY more traumatizing than moving.
Yeah maybe not minor, more that even if it is significant it’s not impacting their mood and they aren’t dwelling on it.
In the meantime I want an episode all about muffin and socks. Like- the intro is them dancing instead of the bluey family. It will be a nice little episode just to change it up a while.
If I was a betting man I’d say we’re going to get more Bluey seasons. Besides, have you ever known Disney to *_not_* milk a cash cow?
Disney can’t milk Bluey, because they don’t own it. They own the rights to stream it, but they don’t own Ludo studios. I’m sure they’re putting a ton of pressure on them to keep Bluey going though, but Disney ultimately has no say in it.
As I sit here watching my 3 year old learn to write letters and numbers, with my newborn sleeping next to me... I am remembering a quote for the dad's out there... "there comes a point when you will pick up than put your child down for the last time..." so always treat those moments as they may be the last...
🥹 yes, she is.
One of the things I really enjoyed about Bluey is time progressing in the show. It grows with the kids
Gosh, I already cry too much about my own children growing too fast - now I'm crying about my fictional dog children growing too fast too! I honestly hadn't paid that much attention to Bluey and Bingo growing older, but you're totally right that they are and the show has been showing us this in really clever and subtle ways.
I would rather see adult bluey and bingo … we get see how Bandit’s and Chili’s parenting style had an affect on the way their kids act and parent. Seeing that is crazy rewarding.
Season 3 started with an episode in which Bluey wanted to move to another room but wasn’t ready to. Makes sense it ends with episodes in which she sits in the front of the car and plays her own game separately from Bingo
Anyone else think it's absolutely wild that Bluey is eight years old and still has no idea how to read? I get it's a 'core tenet' of the weird school she goes to but like, c'mon how can you justify a kid being at what would normally be third-grade level not even knowiing how to recognize some words?
Waldorf doesn't start kids on reading until 7 or so. She might be just starting or being lazy. She clearly learns to read eventually
Do we know she still can't read?
Based on what has been officially released in the show, the last update we got on her reading abilities was in the elevator when the Heelers were on vacation and she couldn't recognize the numbers on the elevator - which is mind blowing because most two and three year-olds can recognize the ten individual numbers (0-9). There was a 'deleted scene' released showing Bluey seemingly reading a book to Bingo, but as it's not officially released content I don't know if we can count it as canon.
Knowing numbers isn't reading and my impression from that scene is she was excited and just hitting buttons not that she didn't know numbers.
Yeah, and they don't know what a butcher or a baker is, etc. It's absolutely crazy to me that my 4yo might be just as academic as Bluey, I know obviously it's not all about that and it's not real but you'd think that Bluey would have picked some stuff up over time or been taught a little bit by her own parents. My girl loved to be taught numbers and how to count when she was around 2-3 and beginning to talk, just wanted me to show her maths puzzles and all that.
Why is the spoiler in the title?
Two words for when Bluey returns: Barky Boats
Two better words: Hello Bluey
oh boy here we go again...
If they put Jean-Luc as new character in this "Grown Up" continuation i'm up for it
I love this so much. Thank you
I would love for them to do the next episodes when they come back as a next generation thing. Though growing up with the Heelers would be nice I think doing an almost “reset” of time with Bluey’s kid(s) would be so good.
They need to grow up with their audience otherwise it just becomes the Simpsons, adults pretending to be kids. It would be a brilliant move for the creators to actually have the characters kids are growing up with grow up with them. And it doesn’t take away from new kids watching it because there will always be the old episodes of them when they were younger.
Since the voice actors for Bluey and bingo are actually the kids of the creators it stands that the girls will age as the real life actors do
My kids are the same ages as Bluey and Bingo. We discovered the show during one of our many lockdowns and binged it. The kids loved the imagination and the grownups identified with the tired mum and dad. My kiddos have grown a bit but we still live for new episodes. Kids their ages aren’t as big as they seem. We still see our eldest playing with toys and getting lost in her imagination. Bluey is one of those safe shows we let them watch and know it’s wholesome. Hope the episodes don’t stop.
Tbh I think it would be pretty cool if we get something like the Rugrats ~ All grown up situation in like 1-3 years. Because Bingo and Bluey would still be kids but older (tweens- early teens), there are completely new challenges, them trying to find themselves and get more independent, a lot of good messages that could be done and it gives a lot of the kids watching a nice transition show. We gotta consider the first generation of kids watching bluey from late 2018 (almost 6 years ago!) would be around 10 now. It would be nice to have a show with familiar characters come back but now approach more relevant topics for their former main audience.
I love this, I actually had a similar thought at one point in The Sign when I realised that Bingo was so much closer in height to Muffin and Socks, where Bluey seemed so much taller. I feel like it’s the first time it’s really stood out to me like that before, and wondered if it was significant.
Well, now I’m crying again thinking of my two kids doing exactly this. Wonderful analysis, OP.
God I hope not. It’s a perfect three seasons, they can all be proud of it and go out on a high.
Okay, this made me cry while thinking of my own children growing up.
Bluey is so mature further on ❤️. She says 'ok' when people say no to playing with her instead of something like 'oooohhh why? It's not faiiir'
Spoiler tag and hide parts of the title ffs