Copycat is the thirty-eighth episode of the first season of Bluey.
Synopsis
Bluey's having fun copying everything Dad says and does, but the game takes a serious turn when Bluey finds a hurt budgie, and they have to make an emergency trip to the vet.
Bluey’s having a fun[sic] copying everything Dad says and does, including Olympic walking, but the game takes a serious turn when she finds a hurt budgie by the side of the path.[1]
Dad and Bluey bundle it into a shoebox and head to the vet. But despite their best efforts, the budgie dies.
To deal with her feelings, Bluey enlists Bingo and they re-enact her morning, racing Budgie Bingo to Mum’s vet for some emergency help.
When Bingo makes a miraculous recovery, Bluey is upset that the game hasn’t gone the way she planned, but she takes solace in knowing that some things are just out of her hands.
Episode Recap
Bandit wakes up to discover that Bluey has decided to copy him today. His morning stretches quickly turn into a series of goofy moves to see if she can keep up (she can). He even gets her to say "Bluey stinks like a monkey's butt."
He heads out for his morning walk, power-walking "like those guys in the Olympics." They meet Wendy, and Bandit starts slapping his bum, with the intent that Bluey will copy him - and she just shrugs.
They pass a tree, and Bluey stops. She's spotted an injured budgie. She calls Bandit back to have a look. The bird nips him - "Toughen up, Bandit." He sends Bluey to fetch a shoebox and tea towel, which he uses to make a little bed for the bird.
They drive the bird to the vet, Bandit holding the box in place with one hand. "You're a good seat belt, Dad." He takes his hand away to honk at an inattentive driver, and Bluey panics - he needs to keep being a seat belt.
They arrive at the vet, and Bandit tells Bluey to watch for cars as they cross the street. Bandit gives the budgie to the veterinarian - he explains that he thinks a cat may have got him. They sit in the waiting room for a while, and the vet returns with bad news - the budgie has died.
On the car ride back, Bluey tells Bandit that she doesn't want the budgie to have died. Bandit explains that he doesn't either - but it's out of their hands. They arrive home, where Chilli is waiting to give her a hug.
Later, in the back yard, Bluey has an idea. She gets Bingo to pretend to be a budgie. Power-walking along, Bluey finds an injured Bingo-budgie under a tree. Bluey tells Bingo to nip her, and gets a chomp instead. "Toughen up, Bluey." She picks up Bingo and manages to get her into a shoebox, sort of. She manages to get Bingo into a pedal car, and holds on to her with one hand as she drives. She pretends to honk at another driver, and goes back to holding Bingo.
She arrives at the play room, and gets out of the car. She trips on a toy car - "Got to watch out for cars!". She takes Bingo to Chilli, who is serving as the vet. Bluey tells her that "a cat beat this feller up." Bluey waits in the waiting room, confiding in a teddy bear that she's pretty sure the budgie won't be all right. Chilli comes back - it's good news! Bluey steps out of character - no, it's supposed to be bad news, the budgie's dead.
Chilli resets the scene. It's bad news - the budgie has died. At this point, Bingo bursts out of the vet's office and starts flapping around the waiting room. Bluey is annoyed - the budgie's not supposed to be better. As Chilli says, "We probably should have told the budgie."
As Bingo flaps around the back yard, Chilli and Bluey sit on the back steps. Chilli comforts Bluey - "This isn't how you wanted the game to go, is it?" Bluey is able to accept it, though - "It's out of our hands."
Bandit comes by - he's just noticed, Bluey stopped copying him.
Appearances
Trivia
- On 1 March 2020, this episode aired on ABC Kids with the "Watch more Floogals on the ABC Kids iView app" bumper. It is likely that this was accidental as it (along with other episodes) usually ends with the "Watch more Bluey on the ABC Kids iView app" bumper.
- This is the first time Wendy is mentioned by name. It is also the first instance of the "Morning, Wendy" running gag, although she has been shocked by the Heeler family's antics in previous episodes (namely Work).
- When travelling to the vet with the budgie, a bird is seen on the power line. However, when travelling back after the budgie had died, no bird is seen.
- Wild budgies have green and/or yellow feathers, which means the blue one Bluey found was a domesticated bird.
- As the vet enters the waiting room after the surgery, Bandit nudges Bluey with his hand, then quickly looks to the direction of the vet and back, as if to say to focus her attention.
- Despite seeming to end her copycat game with dad when they find the budgie, Bluey actually inadvertently continues her copycat game by reenacting the events of the day with Bingo
- Bluey's copycats from the budgie incident:
- Finding the hurt budgie
- Getting bit by the budgie
- Using a shoebox
- "Light as a feather"
- Yelling at the other driver
- Watching out for cars
- The budgie being hurt by a cat
- A bear with a cap holding a blue-tongued skink toy
- "It's out of our hands"
- Long Dog: This long dog is cream colored with dark green ears, spot, and nose. It can be found in the vet's office atop the packages on the shelf, when Bandit and Bluey first enter.
- It uses the same color palette as the packages that it sits on.
- When this episode aired on Disney Channel in the US, it was paired with Backpackers and The Adventure.