Oh, man. Much like my colleague, Philip Sledge, I watch the cartoon series, Bluey, a lot with my kids. So, when there was speculation that the episode, “The Sign,” might be the end of the series, I – like many parents, I’m sure – was a bit worried.
Thankfully, the extra-long episode, “The Sign,” is not the end of the series (in fact, we got a “surprise” episode literally titled “Surprise” on April 21st), so, I think we can all breathe a huge sigh of relief for that one. However, after watching the supersized, 28 minute-long episode, it actually got me thinking that maybe Bluey should stick to having longer episodes.
I’m not alone, as even the show’s creator, Joe Brumm, has toyed with the idea. Well, I think Mr. Brumm should do more than just toy with it, since I believe that longer episodes should be the future of Bluey, and here’s why.
Oh, and spoilers up ahead if you haven’t watched this excellent episode yet.
Longer Episodes Enable A And B Stories That Can Really Breathe
Bluey always worked because its stories could be told in small, digestible chunks. Yes, full narratives would play out in the span of nine or so minutes, but these episodes would really only focus on one major “A” story, which is perfect for kids with short attention spans, right? I mean, Bluey IS a kid’s show, isn’t it? (You don’t have to answer that if you don’t want to.)
That said, “The Sign” actually opened up a world of possibilities. For one thing, this episode has a distinct “A” and “B” story. The “A” story concerns Bluey and her family moving. Bandit (who has taught me a thing or two about being a father), got a new job, and wants to move his family somewhere closer to work.
Bluey, of course, is opposed to the idea, and she’s hoping that if they remove the sign from in front of their house, then they won’t have to move. Bingo is cheerful as always (until she realizes what moving actually entails), and Chilli is soldiering on, even if she doesn’t really want to move, either.
That in itself is enough for a single episode. But then, we also have the “B” story in which Frisky and Uncle Rad are tying the knot…only for Frisky to flee once she realizes that Uncle Rad also wants to move without getting her consent. Chilli, with flower girls in tow, must go off and find Frisky in order to convince her to rethink her decision, which of course leads to some comical diversions.
Either of these stories could have been an episode in themselves, but the longer format really allowed both stories to breathe, and in the end, they both connected in a way that was really quite beautiful. So, more of this, please!
The Emotions Play Out Better In Longer Periods
I know a lot of parents say they get emotional watching Bluey, but that’s never really been the case for me. Yes, I enjoy the Heeler family, and I love seeing their dynamics play out, but I never actually CRY while watching. I think that’s going a bit too far for me.
Or, at least, that’s what I felt until I watched “The Sign,” which really allowed the emotions to play out to a much longer extent. Did I cry? No. (They haven’t gotten me yet!), but I will say that I did feel a lot more emotionally invested with this episode, especially when it came to Bluey, who seemed so damn sad about having to move.
Yes, we got the series’ trademark humor in the episode, but we also got an underlying sense of dread for both Bluey and Chilli, who you could tell didn’t want to move, but was being supportive of her husband.
The longer length, in fact, is probably the reason why “The Sign” is the closest Bluey has ever gotten me to shedding a tear, and it’s because it kept tugging at my heartstrings, and for much longer than nine minutes.
The Show Could Let Even More Characters Have More Screen Time
I didn’t have a show like Bluey growing up. Nuh uh. I grew up with The Simpsons (and damn proud of it), which is an entirely different family. That said, this isn’t about the many differences between the Heeler and the Simpsons families (I mean, we’re 154 episodes in and Bandit still hasn’t tried to strangle Bluey yet!).
Instead, I want to focus on how Bluey should expand upon on its ancillary characters’ screen times. Because even though we do get a great sense of characters like Uncle Stripe, Mrs. Retriever, Coco, Rusty, etc, I think it would be even better if we had whole “B” stories entirely focused on other characters that would eventually merge with the “A” stories involving the Heeler family, much like The Simpsons does.
In that way, I think other characters would be even more fleshed out (even though they’re already pretty fleshed out), which could make Brisbane feel even more expansive than it already is in this series, much like Springfield, which would be really cool to see.
The Longer Episodes Are Suitable For Adult Audiences
Lastly, let’s just be real. Even though Bluey is a show intended for children, it’s one that many adults enjoy as well. In fact, my wife often watches Bluey without either of our children present, and often watches a string of episodes after work since she finds it comforting.
I get it. Even though I don’t watch Bluey on my own, I do understand the appeal. The stories are pretty low stakes, and every episode feels heartwarming in a way that few other shows can match. And, while the short episodes do a sufficient enough job of getting those stories across, I think grown-ups would especially enjoy lengthier episodes on a regular basis.
Because very few adult shows have such short run-times, and “The Sign” showcased that Bluey could be just as –i f not more – compelling for adults if they have even beefier stories. So, even though I’m not suggesting that EVERY episode should be bumped up to close to a half an hour, I do think that adults would greatly appreciate if more episodes were longer. It just makes for better TV.
What do you think? Do you also feel that more Bluey episodes should be longer?
