Warning: The following article contains spoilers for episode 49 of Bluey – season 3.
What a fantastic series finale. When the credits rolled on the mega-episode of Bluey “The Sign”, that was the first thought that came to my mind. The 28 minutes of television I just devoured were heartfelt, humorous, and poignant, and left the Heeler family in a way where I would have been okay had this been the last Brisbane sunset I would see on their cul-de-sac.
READ: “‘Bluey’ Season 3 Episode 48 Review: “Ghostbasket” – A New Beginning?”
When we last saw the Heelers, a For Sale sign loomed ominously in their front yard. In this episode, we learn that patriarch Bandit has accepted a new job in a new city, causing the family’s need to move. None of the Heelers are particularly happy about the move, but Bandit and Chili put on a brave face for their girls, thinking this could give them a better life. When the new owners bow out of the deal (having found a property they like better, thanks indirectly to Bluey), Bandit passionately rips the For Sale sign out of the front lawn and throws it into the street, closing the door on the family leaving town.
That wasn’t the only important sign in this week’s episode, however. When Frisky gets cold feet about marrying the girls’ Uncle Radley and runs away, Chili takes Bluey, Bingo, Muffin, and Socks with her all over Brisbane to find her and bring her home. Just when it seems all hope is lost and they won’t be able to bring Frisky home in time for the wedding, Chili sees a sign on the side of the road for the hangout spot she and Frisky shared back in high school. When the gang drives there, they find Frisky, and after she talks things over with Radley, the wedding is back on.
Both of the major points of conflict in “The Sign” are resolved by the end of the episode, and everyone is happy. For a show that’s never been shy about the realities of parenthood and the unfairness of life, it’s almost strange to see everything wrapped up in a bow so neatly.
But then I think back to something Calypso told her students during the episode, when Bluey asked why the stories she reads to the class always have happy endings. She says “‘Well, I guess ’cause life will give us enough sad ones.'” While Bluey has always been known as the tearjerker parenting show, it is still a show at the end of the day. The creators of the program know how hard life is, and has been especially for the past few years, so they grant us the simple pleasure of seeing things work out for our favorite blue pup.
While the creators of the show stated that “The Sign” was not the end of Bluey, they are taking a hiatus from making new episodes. We don’t yet know if that means there will be a time jump for future episodes, but there’s one thing we do know for sure – the Heelers of Brisbane are here to stay.
“The Sign” is now streaming on Disney+.
