Parents React to Emotional Bluey Episode ‘The Sign’: ‘My Therapist Isn’t Gonna Know What Hit Her’

The latest episode of Bluey had parents reaching for tissues!

The “super sized” special episode, titled “The Sign,” clocked in at 28 minutes — the length of four regular Bluey installments — and it used that time well, according to fans of the beloved Australian series.

The poignant season 3 finale, which premiered April 14, saw Bluey, Bingo, Bandit, Chilli and the extended Heeler family celebrating the wedding of Bandit’s brother Radley to Frisky. They also navigated planning a huge change of their own — moving to a different city.

The episode’s title “refers to the ‘For Sale’ sign in front of the Heeler home,” according to the Los Angeles Times.

“Because of Bandit’s new job, they are selling their house and moving, something Bluey, in particular, is not happy about,” per the L.A. Times’ synopsis. “And while Chilli is trying to be supportive, it’s clear she doesn’t want to move either.”

Put simply, the episode grapples with life’s unpredictability. Or, as Bandit’s voice actor Dave McCormack broke it down to the L.A. Times, “Everyone is trying to make the best decision at that time and you’re going to make mistakes.”

“I think that’s for me the underlying feeling of this episode is you’ve just got to try and do your best. You’re going to get it wrong sometimes,” McCormack added. “But you’ve just got to do what you think is right at the time with the info you’ve got, which is a pretty big concept for a kid’s show.”

The episode’s 28 minutes of intense highs and lows marked with stellar voice acting, stunning animation and masterful writing (it is Bluey, after all) left fans of the series, including parents, both awed and teary-eyed.

“Now, that’s what we call a stellar season finale,” Jazz Tangcay, an editor at Variety, wrote on X (formerly Twitter), adding, “Also, how dare this show for pre-schoolers make adults get all emotional.”

Pro wrestler and father Johnny Gargano also chimed in on X, writing that the episode is “straight-up Avengers: End Game level” for Bluey fans.

“What a fantastic emotional rollercoaster!” he added.

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In a group of parent reactions gathered by Forbes, a mom named Kelly Crawford said the special episode was the first piece of media to make her child tear up.

“My daughter actually admitted that it made her cry and I’ve never known her to get emotional at films or TV,” Crawford said. “She watched it at 8am and then forced me and her dad to watch it too because she was bursting to talk about it with someone.”

Another parent named Greg Jenner’s emotional reaction may have rivaled Crawford’s daughter, however, as he wrote, “The emotional power of the #Bluey special episode, The Sign, cannot be underestimated. I may need a minute…”

Bluey fan Sam Gavin also got emotional, writing on X that “it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say Bluey’s The Sign absolutely f—– me up.”

“My therapist isn’t gonna know what hit her,” he continued. “Sensational television. No I’m not joking. Bandit & Chilli are parenting goals. I love these characters so much. F—, man…”

Bluey is available to stream on Disney+.