From Bluey’s family to her friends, these 5 episodes show how the supporting characters of Bluey have led some of the best episodes of the series.
It’s the sign of a great show when the episodes which focus on the supporting characters can be just as great as the episodes with the main crew. But Bluey’s secondary and tertiary characters are written with the same amount of heart and nuance as those with Bluey or Bingo. From Muffin to Rusty to any of the Heeler family’s friends, here are the best episodes which give the spotlight to Bluey’s side characters, ranked from worst to best.
5. BARKY BOATS
Season 2 Episode 31
For as well rounded as Bluey had become by season 2, it remains surprising to me that “Barky Boats” is essentially the only episode so far which focuses on pre-teens. I don’t know if we’ll ever see Mia or Captain again on the show, but I can’t help but root for them after their introduction. In the episode, Bluey and Makenzie are paired off with teenage visitors and, despite the kids’ sudden distaste for one another, Mia and Captain find ways to spend time together. Its most emotional moment comes as the latter pair confess their fears to each other about their impending time in high school. Sometimes I forget that Bluey is only 8 minutes long per episode (including closing credits and the opening credits song), which makes its ability to introduce new characters and make them resonant and memorable all the more impressive.
4. EARLY BABY and MUMS AND DADS
Season 1 Episodes 40 & 41
In the world of Bluey, play is often the way that kids cope with complicated issues. The season 1 two-part episode “Early Baby” and “Mums and Dads” take place exclusively within Bluey’s daycare and revolves around a misunderstanding between Bluey’s friends Indy and Rusty. In “Early Baby”, Indy plays a game of hospital where she takes care of an early baby, just like her sister. The episode takes a kind of Rashomon approach, as Indy and Rusty trade off telling their sides of the story. It may not be the funniest or the most profound episode of the show, but it’s quietly smart about showing how kids handle real-life situations they don’t fully understand.
This extends to “Mums and Dads”, which takes place moments later, when Rusty and Indy are playing the titular game. It doesn’t take long for them to argue about how to play – as virtually every kid eventually does in virtually every game – but they come back to each other once they see why they work so well together. One of the magic tricks of Bluey is in how it depicts kids not just as endlessly creative beings, but in how they’re capable of solving their problems without the need for any adults, and both “Early Baby” and “Mums and Dads” do this in ingeniously subtle ways.
3. FACEYTALK
Season 3 Episode 24
Since her introduction early on in Bluey, Bluey and Bingo’s younger cousin Muffin has brought an enjoyable sense of chaos whenever the show decides to utilize her. In the season 3 episode “Faceytalk”, she’s even more delightfully deranged. Bluey and Bingo do a kind of FaceTime call with Muffin and Socks, but Muffin wants to hijack the call so she can draw a cowboy hat – for the uninitiated, kids are very hesitant to relinquish control in any given situation. Her dad proceeds to chase her throughout the house, and the Bluey creative team has a great deal of fun with background animation at every turn. That the episode features the show’s best animation, and features a subplot about parenting styles, while also being deliriously funny, is why it’s not only a great showcase for Muffin, but one of the best episodes of Bluey.
2. CRICKET
Season 3 Episode 47
For as much as we try to shelter them, kids can be very adaptable, and this is what drives the season 3 episode “Cricket”. After this most recent watch-along, I’ve come to realize that any Bluey episode featuring Rusty is going to be reliably solid, even though we knew a few sparse details about him before this episode. We learn, through Bandit’s retelling, of how great Rusty is at the game of cricket. But Rusty didn’t improve simply because he’s naturally gifted, or because he practices relentlessly. The episode shows not just how Rusty has an answer for every cricket play, but how he’s overcome certain circumstances to be the kind, caring character we’ve seen glimpses of throughout Bluey.
1. ARMY
Season 2 Episode 16
Kids don’t always need to be “fixed” when they have issues. What the season 2 episode of Bluey posits is that, whether a kid has tics or deficiencies or difficulty fitting in, they can still find a way to be accepted for who they are. “Army” is our introduction to Jack, a kid who struggles to remember things and focus, as he starts his first day at Bluey’s school. The first day of school is daunting for any young kid, especially considering Jack’s introduction in the episode, but thankfully Rusty is there to play a game of Army with him. As they play, Jack finds himself remembering things and being in the moment without realizing it, and making a new friend along the way.
A new episode of the series Bluey is now available to watch on Disney Plus. The two remaining new episodes, “The Sign” (S3E49) and “Surprise!” (S3E49) will be available to stream on April 14 and April 21, 2024. Read our list of 5 best episodes of the show’s other characters:
- 5 best episodes of the character Bluey
- Bluey: 5 Best Episodes of Bingo
- Bluey: 5 Best Episodes of Bandit
- Bluey: 5 Best Episodes of Chilli
