By: Sammy Wang
The cartoon, Bluey, follows a family of dogs whose daily life has been gaining popularity for its entertaining and touching lessons for kids and adults. The family consists of Bluey, Bingo, Bandit, and Chili. Airing in October 2018, with three seasons and 151 episodes, the audience learns lessons such as friendship, mindfulness, inclusivity, etc.
Some of these lessons include following your passion, stepping out of your comfort zone, practice makes perfect, and love of family is shown. Season three, episode 47, Bandit tells Bluey the story of his team trying to get a kid, Rusty, an outstanding cricket player, out of the game. Despite all the ways Bandit’s team wanted to get him out, Rusty always hits the cricket without fail.
With each attempt, the audience is shown the obstacles Rusty faced to hit the ball. In the first attempt, Bandit throws the ball. The show then shows a flashback to Rusty practicing diligently with a tennis ball by hitting it against the wall. In that scene, the audience learns how practicing can help you achieve your goals.
Next, Bandit’s team plans to get the ball by guarding the place Rusty hits. Then, another flashback comes, and it shows how Rusty has trained for that situation. In the flashback, Rusty kept hitting the ball into the kitchen, which angered his mother. With more practice, Rusty could precisely direct the ball to where he wanted to hit it.
So with Rusty winning again, Bandit’s team is impressed, and they devise another plan to throw Rusty off.
The team plans on throwing the ball onto a stump nearby Rusty, making the ball more difficult to hit. Unfortunately for them, Rusty hits it, returning to when Rusty practiced on a rocky ground filled with tree stumps and dirt. At first, Rusty fails to hit the ball, but eventually, in the end, he succeeds.
On the final attempt, one of the adults throws the ball at a fast and hard pace which is Rusty’s weakness. It then cuts to a flashback of Rusty’s inability to hit a ball thrown by Tiny. Being afraid of the speedy ball, he backs away. Later that day, Rusty receives a letter from his dad, who is in the army, telling Rusty that he could either face his problems or just back away from them. Soon after, Rusty’s back at the cricket field with the cricket bat in hand, ready to hit Tiny’s ball, and he succeeds!
Returning to the present game, Rusty also hits the ball, ending the game. This episode touched many cricket players relating to the story of Rusty. They connected with the show by following their passions and facing their fears.
Former cricket player Aussie Batter Ed Cowan watched the show with his daughter, and he was moved to tears.
“Honestly, I was bawling my eyes out. If you’re a cricket fan, I don’t care how old you are, you have to watch this episode. And if you don’t have a tear in your eye at the end of the episode, I don’t even know if you’re human,” Cowan said.
At the end of the episode, Rusty walks out of the cricket field, and the setting changes to the Gabba (Brisbane’s international cricket ground) with crowds of people cheering him. Rusty then fist bumps an incoming cricket player, the adult version of himself wearing an Australian national cricket uniform before they walk in separate directions. Young Rusty leaves the field while the adult Rusty enters.
In conclusion, Bluey is a great show for adults and children, with touching episodes for everyone to take away.
Sources: https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&ved=2ahUKEwjn_qezreD_AhXQI0QIHSC9DSUQFnoECA0QAw&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.coolaustralia.org%2Fbluey-education-resources%2F&usg=AOvVaw1BMX9oOlQ7rW4FSXHcdbCa&opi=89978449