As a parent who’s been through countless Lego and block towers myself, I must say that “Blocks” truly resonates with me the most among these fantastic minisodes. It beautifully captures the essence of childhood innocence, mixed with the adult world’s practicality and patience. The way it subtly portrays the love between Nana and Bob, while also showcasing the challenges of balancing family life and personal space, is simply remarkable.
The regular episodes of Bluey, usually ranging from six to eight minutes excluding credits, have become quite brief. The newly released minisodes are even shorter, with some lasting just over 60 seconds before the credits start rolling. As speculation mounts over the future of this cherished and highly successful children’s series, it remains unclear whether these Bluey minisodes serve as a bridge to keep viewers engaged until more standard episodes are announced or if they are a temporary solution to keep the franchise alive while decisions about its future are being made.
The minisodes collectively display an intriguing and subtle quality, heavily focusing on adult dialogue to convey each episode’s theme and events. While Bluey and Bingo appear frequently, they contribute primarily through laughter, exclamations like “ahh!” or “hmm?”, and brief additional dialogue. This is significant because the future of Bluey has been a topic of discussion regarding how it will handle the aging voices of its child actors. Some minisodes seem like brief interludes – not discarded scenes, but fragments of a game or ideas that didn’t fully fit into a full-length Bluey episode. However, some exceed their weight in quality; these outstanding ones possess the depth of a full-length episode or leverage the freedom of the short format to explore beyond the conventional boundaries of the longer episodes. Admittedly, some may feel monotonous and unimaginative, but a few are so engaging that they almost make you forget you’re not watching a regular Bluey episode.
Note from Author: My kids have a different opinion on the rankings presented here. They concur with me about “Whirlpool” and “Animals,” but they believe I undervalued “Browny Bear” and overvalued the emotional complexity in “Blocks.
14.
“Animals”
Two of these mini-episodes share a similar theme, presented in slightly varied forms. Among “Government” and “Wildlife,” the less engaging is arguably “Wildlife.” In it, Chilli imitates various animals by sitting on a park bench and moving her fingers along Bingo’s back. The interaction lacks the vibrant energy found in the minisode featuring Bandit, where the same concept is presented more playfully and mischievously. Although Chilli brings charm to the show, she doesn’t have the freedom to be as cheeky and whimsical as Bandit often is, which explains why “Wildlife” falls short compared to the other mini-episode based on this shared idea.
13.
“Phoney”
In this rephrased version: The mischievous character, Unicorse (Bandit’s opposite), makes a comeback, commanding the non-Alexa device, Phoney, to play heavy metal following Chilli’s request for calming music. Eventually, Bluey and Bingo manage to subdue Unicorse and force him to comply with Chilli’s wish. These short minisodes are brief (approximately a minute long) due to the discomfort that Unicorse causes for everyone involved.
12.
“Whirlpool”
In a nutshell, the one-minute piece titled “Whirlpool” offers a delightful, largely wordless depiction of playtime, yet it seems to lack a substantial idea or theme beyond the brief scene of children frolicking in a garden paddling pool.
11.
“Government”
In a different context, “Government” could be compared to “Pets” in a playful scenario where a caretaker interacts with their pet. Both “Government” and “Pets” are subjects that require engagement, much like Chilli or Bandit leaning into a game. The outcome of the interaction between Bandit and his pet (in this case, Bandit’s correspondence with the government) is often determined by Bandit’s performance, making it a mini-episode of sorts. Here, the pet represents the government, and Bandit is writing letters on behalf of Bingo (the children), expressing concerns or complaints about their behavior.
10.
“Hungry”
In a humorous segment titled “Bandit’s Playful Antics,” Bandit playfully scares Bluey by pretending to eat her, then acting sick and vomiting her onto the living room floor next to Bingo. Chilli reacts dramatically, while Bingo seems pleased. In the end, Bandit claims he’s still a bit hungry, sniffs at the pile of “puppy vomit,” and pretends to eat Bluey again. This scene showcases one of the series’ clever running gags – the subtle reminders that these characters are actually dogs, as seen in Bandit’s quick sniff at Bluey.
9.
“Tattoo Shop”
Bandit asks the girls to design a masculine, powerful, eye-catching back tattoo for him, so Bluey and Bingo grab markers and start sketching on his back while Bandit talks about how thrilled he is for his rugged ink. However, when he finally turns around to show off his new tattoo, it’s clear that things didn’t go as planned – instead of the tough-guy design he wanted, there’s a whimsical unicorn surrounded by rainbows, hearts, and stars. Despite its brief duration, this episode effectively makes use of the time available.
8.
“Three Pigs”
“Three Pigs” – An Unconventional Bedtime Tale
7.
“Bingo 3000”
In this episode, we see similarities with “Hungry” and “Government,” yet it surpasses both due to Bingo’s enhanced control over her role as a robot butler with faulty legs. Bingo’s character is tasked with serving as a malfunctioning robot butler; meanwhile, Bandit grapples with adjusting Bandit’s settings and consulting the manual for repairs, only to find that her legs keep collapsing into a bent position instead of remaining straight. The narrative focuses more on the dynamic between Bingo and Bandit, and the storyline culminates in a satisfying resolution, as despite being “broken,” Bingo 3000 is still able to shuffle around the house in her crooked butler mode.
6.
“Letter”
In one of its unique mini-episodes, the show “Letter” presents a distinct visual style where Nana reads out a letter written by Bandit during childhood. As she does so, Bluey and Bingo chuckle at Bandit’s comments about her cooking, his likes and dislikes, and his poor spelling back then. This episode offers an entertaining spin on the usual character dynamics by delving into Bandit’s childhood antics. There’s a resemblance to the comic strip “Dogman” in this segment as well, with each page of the letter featuring Bandit’s original handwriting and drawings, allowing the children to giggle as Nana struggles to understand his cryptic writing (“I ride my skateboard on the driveway after school.”).
5.
“Burger Dog”
From one perspective, “Burger Dog” is an irritating three-minute ordeal for Bandit, who’s forced to endure his kids’ nagging for their grating music on his phone. Despite pretending the device is dead, Chili eventually reveals it still works. The song that embodies Bluey’s concept of aggravating children’s tunes, “Burger Dog,” lives up to its genre’s obnoxious and hollow reputation. On a more personal note, my entire family has been humming “Burger Dog” for months on end. Our group chat is now dubbed the “Fluffy Bun with Some Sesame Seeds.” If Bluey releases “Burger Dog” as a single, I might consider relocating to the wilderness. It’s hard to deny that it wouldn’t be a hit.
4.
“Drums”
In the mini-episode “Drums”, the focus shifts from the usual dialogue-heavy scenes featuring adult characters, with children’s voices reduced to occasional lines or laughter. Instead, it delves into the thoughts and emotions of these adults, as well as games they invent. In this episode, Bingo explores an electric drum kit while her sister Bluey and their older sibling Chilli are present. With headphones on, Bingo plays and evolves from experimentation to a full-blown rock star performance, unheard by others. The episode showcases Bingo’s joy and triumph, making it unique among other mini-episodes that don’t highlight Bluey or Bingo as individual characters to the same extent. “Drums” is an exceptional addition to the broader Bingo series narrative.
3.
“Browny Bear”
Similar to several short episodes, “Browny Bear” mainly stems from Bandit’s imaginative ideas. However, unlike “Government” or “Three Pigs”, it is developed more intricately, featuring its unique visual style, a rich cultural nod to how the game operates, and a storyline that culminates in an exhilarating climax. By employing a well-known parental trick, Bandit cleverly uses Browny Bear, his puppet, to transform into a detective in a noir-esque setting. Here, he interrogs witnesses, collects evidence, and unravels the mystery of who tapped him on the shoulder. This episode, reminiscent of classic noir dialogues as Bandit says, “It was a Tuesday when this dame walked into my life,” while Chilli enters his dimly-lit office, is more engaging for older kids, particularly those who can identify it as a noir. Yet, it remains coherent and self-contained as an intriguing standalone “mystery” since the solution to the enigma is evident from the beginning.
2.
“Muffin Unboxing”
“Browny Bear” and “Letter” have unique looks, while “Drums” is a creative solution for minisode constraints. However, “Muffin Unboxing” stands out as the most innovative and kid-friendly minisode, set in 2024. It’s presented like a YouTube video, complete with a title and a ‘subscribe’ button, featuring Muffin unboxing a new toy dump truck. This episode appeals to both casual viewers and those familiar with “Bluey” lore, highlighting Muffin’s impatience, typical video genre elements, and the spontaneity of young kids. It’s particularly exciting for viewers who understand the complex social dynamics between characters like Stripe and Trixie, especially concerning their socio-economic status and parenting choices. The episode reaches its climax at the end, but the most thrilling moment comes earlier, when Stripe manages to get the truck to work and sighs “oh, thank f—.
1.
“Blocks”
The “Muffin Unboxing” episode offers great growth for minor characters in Bluey and introduces various mediums, but the minisode titled “Blocks” stands out as it’s just as deep and thought-provoking as a full episode. During a visit with grandma and grandpa, Bluey and Bingo build an enormous city from blocks in the living room. They plead for permission to leave the blocks up until their next visit. Over the following week, the episode focuses on grandma and grandpa trying to navigate their daily lives amidst this large, disruptive, and unstable project. The episode masterfully tugs at multiple emotional strings, showcasing sweetness, absurdity, frustration, and deep affection. For example, Bob strains his neck to see the TV over the block towers, and when parts of the city collapse, grandma and grandpa end up rebuilding it painstakingly on the floor. Most minisodes feel less substantial, but “Blocks” is a unique concept presented with humor and sensitivity. It’s characteristic of Bluey if viewers don’t shed tears during this episode, and “Blocks” is most likely to make you emotional among all the minisodes.
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2024-10-08 21:55