Keepy Uppy

Is The Bluey Season 3 Finale Actually The Finale For The Whole Show?

Is Bluey moving onto something new? Fans have theories about this episode and its longterm implications

by Matthew Kaplowitz

Bluey fans are about to have some serious closure, as the longest season of the popular Australia animated series is about to finish its third season. It’s been a long road, but we know now that the finale titled “The Sign” will air at some point in 2024 after the final batch of remaining episodes from season three air in January. This special installment holds the distinction of being the longest episode of Bluey in the series five-year history, as well as being the first to be simulcast in its homeland of Australia and in places with Disney+, meaning everyone can watch this episode at the same time and day without any delays!

The big question on everybody’s mind is – just what the biscuits is this episode going to be about? Without a doubt, this is the most hyped Bluey since the start of the glacially slow-released third season, and with Bluey fever hotter than ever, the stakes are high. The show's creators have a habit of being cryptic and withholding info until they’re absolutely ready to divulge it, but admirers of the Heeler family have taken matters into their own hands. We’re taking a look at what we know about “The Sign,” and the fan theories that sprouted from the table scraps tossed at us that, if true, could change the landscape of the series for year to come.

Clues about the plot of Bluey Season 3 Finale

Trailer for “The Sign,” Bluey’s mega-sized third season finale

When the trailer for the Bluey season three finale dropped in November, the fanbase went into a frenzy. At last, we reached the promised conclusion of this amazing but never-ending season, and all signs (pun intended) pointed to this being a very important episode. However, the 26-second video gave us practically nothing to explain what the core of the story would be.

The Bluey Reddit has multiple threads discussing this hot topic, with plenty of fan theories attempting to decode every potential event that would lead to such an ambiguous episode name. Redditors have gone so far as to attempt breaking down the trailer frame-by-frame in hopes of discovering any clues to add credence to their inferences.

Arguably the most shocking new moment seen in that clip is this one of Bluey looking sad as her classmates react to something directed at the young pup. This shock and awe has inspired many fans to think this episode is about the Heelers moving away, and the sign could be literal, referencing a “For Sale” sign on their front lawn.

However, Bluey’s distress could realistically be tied to anything, since even the smallest problem can seem gargantuan to children. Whatever dilemma is happening in this episode, we know it’s causing Bluey to have some trepidation about how events in her life are unfolding. Some fans have taken that to mean something depressing, while others believe it relates to nervousness over something joyous.

Serious Socks

The first official still from “The Sign” featured a few potential clues that led to big fan theories

Disney/ BBC

The biggest observation that’s been shared among fans is via an officially released screenshot from “The Sign,” which features mum Chilli and Bluey sitting at what appears to be a rest stop. Viewers are theorizing the feet dangling in the bathroom stall are those of Socks, Stripe and Trixie’s youngest pup.

Why would the two families be traveling together? Some Redditors believe “The Sign” will involve an event of some kind, which isn’t much of a leap, but will be one dramatically grander in scale than the typical seven-minute short. One frontrunner for this theory is a funeral, specifically of a character we haven’t seen since the first season. Grandpa Bob is Bandit’s father, and debuted in season one’s “Grannies” to floss with Nana, but hasn’t been seen physically with the family outside of the “Fairytale” flashback episode from this past third season. He’s been referenced a few times, notably by Bingo in the season three premiere “Bedroom” while being put to sleep, saying goodnight to him “wherever you are.”

We can potentially debunk this rumor as hearsay now by looking at two facts. Bluey creator Joe Brumm crushed rumors of Grandpa Bob’s demise back in 2021, saying he is alive and well and would reappear in the third season to give “proof of life”. With one episode left unaired, this finale will likely be the spot to present him onscreen after his long and mysterious departure.

As for those dangling paws, taking the shadows into account could disprove those as Socks’, and those tiny feet could belong to Bingo who is visiting the dunny to take a “tactical wee.”

Are Frisky and Rad Getting Married?

The most popular fan theory right now is the episode concerns Rad and Frisky. This couple first got together in season two’s “Double Babysitter,” and returned in “Christmas Swim” sharing a holiday away from the Heeler clan.

Fans have been anticipating a wedding episode since that Christmas story, and many are thinking the season three finale will showcase that. A potential leak may have spoiled that, but there’s little evidence to back up that this single frame isn’t unofficial fan art or something else, especially since the framing seems very suspect.

Others have postulated this episode might involve the pair announcing a surprise pregnancy, which leads into the other most popular theory regarding what the episode could be – at least according to Blueyphiles. While this theory and Grandpa Bob’s fate are talked about by many, there’s another potential clue that few caught in that trailer, and may actually reveal everything.

The Butterfly Effect

A subtle piece of info seems to be hiding in that same still of the rest stop, and that would be a blue butterfly hanging out atop a water fountain. According to some Bluey sleuths, this tiny insect is a huge clue to what the finale will center on, and involves another member of the family last seen in a very emotional episode.

YouTuber Aussie Girl Margie did some serious detective work, and in her comprehensive video explained how the season three episode “Slide” may connect to “The Sign.” According to Brumm from Australia’s “Behind Bluey” podcast, the butterfly from “Slide” will affect a future episode, but how?

The exact critter seen in “Slide” was identified as a male Ulysses butterfly, which signifies change, risk-taking, and is symbolically associated with the cycle of life. Margie pointed out that when Bluey and Bingo’s Aunt Brandy showed up in season three’s heartbreaking “Onesies,” she was coming to terms with her infertility issues and reconnecting with her sister, Chilli. Her theory suggests Brandy might be adopting a child, but also leaves room for Rad and Frisky’s potential wedding and/ or pregnancy, and a thread to tie Grandpa Bob’s passing into the story, too.

It could be one of these things, a combination of them, or none at all, but it’s hard to ignore the small details when those things you spot out of the corner of your eye turn out to be the most important things you see.

Is this the Bluey SERIES finale?

Bluey and her classmates at Calypso’s aren’t saying a word about what this finale will be about

Disney/ BBC

There’s been a nonstop torrent of rumors and innuendo regarding this finale closing out not only the third season, but concluding the series. With the kids responsible for the voices on the show getting older, their voices are changing and the creative team has been forced to adapt to cover it up. While they’ve found a few techniques to buy them some time, it’s diminishing returns, and this reality only adds more weight to this theory.

If Bluey continues as intended, new actors will inevitably need to step in to maintain the kids sounding like kids, but the studio is doing its best to prolong that as much as possible. There’s also the report that the creators are taking a voluntary pause after the third season wraps to take a breather, and we’ve been reassured Bluey will resume afterwards, but until the mysterious showrunners give us more details, anything could happen.

No matter what the plot of “The Sign” ends up being, the heart and soul of it is something nobody can predict. There’s always a deeper meaning to every episode, and Bluey fans will have to trust that no matter what we get, it’s going to be worth the wait and the start of a brand-new chapter in the history of the show.

Bluey Season 3 finale air date

As of this writing, there is no exact release date for the Bluey Season 3 finale beyond at a date to be determined in 2024. 10 new episodes from Season 3 will hit Disney+ on January 12, 2024.

Bluey is available to stream in the US on Disney+.