There’s more to Bluey than meets the eye and that’s one of the reasons it’s so popular. The show delves into often tricky and real-world situations that are not only good lessons for kids to see portrayed, but also completely relatable to parents.
Eagle-eyed Bluey viewers often spot ‘easter eggs’ in the episodes and share their own Bluey fan theories on social media as they unravel the many layers of the popular children’s television show.
Could Bingo have celiac disease?
One fan, Michael, has pointed out that he believes Bluey’s sister, Bingo, might have celiac disease, an autoimmune disease in which she cannot tolerate gluten.
The first clue comes from the fact that Bingo was mysteriously admitted to hospital in the first season without an explanation as to why. In season 2, Bandit is seen preparing Bingo and Blue’s lunchboxes and sorting the foods into gluten-free and not-gluten-free sections. In another episode, we discover that Bingo’s lunch box is the green one – the gluten-free one.
Another scene shows Bandit and Bingo buying groceries and specifically picking out several gluten-free options like almond flour. However, as Michael points out, Bingo is also seen eating a hot dog bun in a different episode. Perhaps it was a gluten-free bun?
A few fans pointed out that perhaps Bingo doesn’t have celiac disease but perhaps Bandit is making a special lunch box for Bingo due to food allergies at her school – another totally relatable thing that parents have to go through.
I’ve got three kids, all in different schools this year. Two schools are nut-free. One school is also dairy-free due to a classmate’s dairy intolerance. So picking and choosing what snacks go in which lunch box based on the school rules can be challenging.
Or, perhaps Bingo does have celiac disease or is simply gluten-free and this is an issue the writers will bring into the show in a future episode. We shall see.
Chili’s secret health battle
The Bingo theory comes just weeks after other Bluey fans pointed out that Chili, Bluey’s mum may also be going through her own health battle. Viewers of the show have noticed a number of subtle hints that suggest Chili is “secretly very sad”.
The first hint comes in the episode ‘Relax’ when the Heeler family goes on a beach holiday and Chili is seen reading a book. Bluey asks Chili was it’s called and she says, “It’s about how to be happy”.
Later on in the same episode, Chili admits she’s having a hard time unwinding alone on the beach telling Bandit “it’s harder than it looks” – a feeling a lot of mums totally get!
TikToker Asheley Baca started the Chili health battle theory and since then, millions have viewed her video and agreed with her theory. It makes sense and it’s actually incredibly real and relatable. Chili, a devoted mum-of-two, may be a cartoon dog, but she’s most likely going through the same things many mums go through – a sense of loss of self when we become mums.
“I think she’s like a lot of mums trying to find herself again after kids,” one wrote in the comments.
“I relate to her in so many ways. I’ve tried so many times to just relax without my kids but I can’t. I can’t even go on a date with my husband. I can’t relax without thinking about our kids, wanting to go back to them, or thinking about everything that needs to be done,” another wrote.
Bluey, for real life
Bluey has never shied away from serious situations. They speak openly on the show about death, divorce, bullying, and several other tough life moments.
The episode titled ‘The Show’, for example, sparked the attention of many parents and is being hailed as a heartfelt way to represent miscarriage or stillbirth.
In the episode, Bluey and Bingo are playing “mum” and “dad”. Unfortunately, during the reenactment of the pregnancy, the blue balloon under Bingo’s shirt pops.
Both pups stand there in shock and sadness while Bandit and Chili grab each other’s hands with pained expressions on their faces, suggesting that this really did happen. It’s a very small detail but eagle-eyed fans have found this particular part of the show to be incredibly important and touching.
In another episode, ‘Onesies’, the writers do an absolutely beautiful job of representing infertility in a way that children are able to understand. In this episode, Chili’s sister Brandy comes to visit but she seems uncomfortable around her nieces.
As Chili explains to Bluey while they hid from Bingo in a bathtub (again, as you do), Brandy can’t have children.
The camera then pans over to Brandy who is happily wrestling with Bingo. Bingo then hops off on a cheetah mission, leaving Brandy alone in the grass. It’s a simple and innocent, yet empathetic way to represent infertility.
This is one of the many reasons why parents (and kids) love the show so much. It’s real life. Okay, so it’s not real life, but the Heeler household is portrayed as more real than many television sitcom families. They often face hard issues with empathy and understanding. They aren’t perfect parents but they certainly love their kids.
Sure, they may have tails, but they also have a ton of heart.
