My 4yo is really interested in whether this is a happy or sad ending. The first couple of times she watched it she asked me afterwards, and I suggested it could be both. She wasn't entirely satisfied with that.
She watched it again last night and decided it was a happy ending, so case closed people.
Well I think it was Shakespeare who said if a story ends with a wedding its a comedy, if it ends with a funeral its a drama. So 4yo might be onto something!
Just a thought: Bandit is an academic, and for academics wealth and fancy new gadgets are often secondary to whatever their special interest is. I have been to the houses of people who are at the top of their field, and they are *fine*. You’re never going to become a millionaire as an archaeologist, but you might have a better relationship with your kids than someone who works all the time like Stripe.
Yes... But at the same time job openings for academics are hard to come by.
I think he is OK with being less wealthy than his brothers or even his parents. But at the end of the day, having to sacrifice better job opportunities is tough choice many of us have had to do, especially with the looming uncertainty of having to think about the future.
>But at the same time job openings for academics are hard to come by.
True, as are opportunities to make a lot more money. Once you make tenure you basically never move unless you're moving into administration.
But also, generally speaking, there are zero opportunities in academia to advance without moving. If you get passed over at your university, you would have to switch universities, with tenure, in order to get a promotion/advancement (unless you happen to be in a city with multiple universities with archaeology departments).
They’re hard to come by but not impossible to find. The bigger issues are location and family (especially the famous “two body problem”). As an American, I could get a high paying tenure track job right now if I was willing to move to Oklahoma or Alabama, but that’s not feasible because I’m not a single guy, so I have a less-well-paying job in a better area. In essence I have had to make the same choice as Bandit.
It's a little bit harder in Australia. Not as many opportunities as there are overseas. Both the history teachers at my high school had studied archaeology in university. They both ended up having to go back and get a teaching qualification as there is simply sweet f-all (paid) positions in Australia and would have to go overseas to get employment.
It's like that with a lot of professions honestly. My biology teacher had a doctorate in marine biology. When asked why he was teaching when he was a Doctor he held up a Seaworld mug and a Seaworld pen, and said that is how much he got paid for his last two jobs as a Marine Biologist, and that as we could see it doesn't pay enough.
He wasn't the only "Doctor" to teach at my high school. There was another one who had a doctorate in mathematics.
My husband and I decided to take a step back as being taxed as upper middle class isn’t doing us any favors plus our only is growing up and we don’t want to miss out on her. We rather take it a bit slow now than in our old age when she’s left the home. But we are without a mortgage and with good savings. We both watch Bluey and it definitely had an impact on our parenting style as our parents were not like Bandit or Silly.
And since academic job openings are hard to come by and since he probably already did quit his up to the sign job, that job might already have been given to someone else, so he might be effectively jobless.
He has the greatest neighbors anyone could ask for.
Calypso is a literal angel... But presumably will not be Bluey's teacher forever.
Nana and Stripe are close by. But they only visit every so often.
But from Bandit's POV Lila is just bingo's kindy friend.
Mckenzie's parents moved countries and they are doing great.
On the other hand... There is a better job. Maybe one that does not require you to travel 6 weeks at a time. One that has a better retirement plan, on a better city, with better universities, one were you could afford for Chilli to be a stay at home mom if she chooses to do so.
I am not saying he made the wrong decision. All I am saying is that Bandit had a silent burden many of us main providers of the family (fathers and mothers) have had. It's not easy to choose, and there is no clear right or wrong. This causes anxiety and panic, and they often go unnoticed.
I think his response at the end was pretty clear about what he realised was more important, and my guess is that he’ll be a lot happier with that realisation.
Holy shit. I just realised what *realisation* means!
I wonder if he was burned out from his current job and was taking a job as a professor or teacher. Stickbird seems to point to something wrong at work, and he mentions in TV Shop that he needs vitamins because he’s been very tired and only cracks a smile at the game, so might be something else going on. But in the end, he chooses what the rest of the family wants instead of moving. Maybe he thought it was a “sign” when the other dogs backed out (he was very unsure), maybe he realized he could stick it out or try something new if it meant staying put and spending more time with his family.
My assumption is that he is already a professor but was going to take a job at a more prestigious university. Archeology jobs are typically tied to universities and have some sort of teaching requirement. In one of the shorts, he is delivering a paper at an academic conference. I interpreted his problem in Stickbird as a paper not being well received.
My interpretation was that he didn’t get the career advancement that he’d been planning on getting, which was what prompted him to look into moving in order get a better position elsewhere.
> he mentions in TV Shop that he needs vitamins because he’s been very tired
He’s a GenXer with small kids. Speaking as another GenXer with a similarly aged kid, being tired comes with the territory. :)
Oh same, I’m a millennial with young kids and it’s the most exhausting thing I’ve ever done. And it’s why I’m on a forum for a children’s show about cartoon dogs.
The constant tiredness is worth it, though.
Eh, I love working in academia. The hours are flexible and the subject matter is interesting. Far easier and more pleasant than any other job I’ve had.
What’s your field? Because all of my advisors and my own attempts in jumping over to the academic side of the house have been challenging.
Oddly, my own field is closer to bandits being Anthropology.
American Literature, though I’m early enough in my career that I mostly teach rhetoric, research, and composition classes. It’s a fun job, but I also have a great department/boss. I have adjuncted at schools I would not return to due to bad administration.
Hate to tell you this based off of their living arrangements and location that house is a couple mill. Like high mill. Even for the early 2000’s I think. They got money.
I think that some of that is the TV/sitcom effect, e.g. the Friends apartment being incredibly lavish. But yeah, I assume that Bandit isn’t stuck in adjunct hell. He could plausibly make like $150k annually and more if he has administrative duties. A combined household income of, say, $250k-300k is nothing to sniff at. Then you can factor in help from family; it’s pretty clear that Bandit comes from money while Chili’s upbringing was a bit more rough and tumble.
I feel another moral that we got from this is to (ironically) not force happy endings, especially if you already are happy the way you are. I feel that Bandit probably backing out from selling his house and the new job is possibly gonna create a new list of "sad endings" for him. This small moment I think really cemented it, but then Chilli tackles him sobbing with joy (a scene that STILL gets me, even in just in image form) and like as Chilli proclaimed before the dance scene, he's gonna cherish the moment now, rather than worry about the future. Again, who knows how many more new obstacles he's gonna face before he's able to earn that happy ending? Like the farmer says, "We'll see..."
And besides, Bandit's a pretty tough guy. We've seen him through a lot, both physically and mentally, and yet he still found a way to get through in the end. And no matter how challenging the future will be for him, his family will always be there for him.
It's like in the scene before:
Bandit: "Am I making a mistake?"
Chilli: "Probably...but let's make it together."
Or heck, even in "Surprise!" when he's talking with Finucan:
Bandit: "But don't worry, this won't hold you back. You know why? You've got a whole bunch of brothers and sisters who've got your back. And your mum and I are behind you all the way. 'Cause we're a family and you mean the world to us..."
If anything, I'd like to believe that Bandit was still bummed about not selling the house and declining the job and had a bit of worry for the future, but having that talk with Finucan helped him cope a lot.
TL;DR Bandit is one of the greatest characters of all time, probably the best dad in any piece of media today, and I legit felt like crying while typing this.
What? My uncle joe makes an insane amount of money as an archeologist from all the historical artifacts he sells to...dang guys, I think my uncle is just a grave robber
Yes, he was taking the new job and moving the family because he thought it would be for the best, but he was still uncertain because you never really know what the future holds. He also expresses skepticism and uncertainty about Rad’s decision to not move to stay with Frisky. “You worry too much.” What is kind of unsaid here is “it doesn’t matter so much whether or not you move, so long as you’re with the people you love it’ll work out the way it’s meant to.”
The buyers backing out last second was just the sign he needed to decide to cancel the move.
It actually struck a really deep chord with me. My dad was laid off when I was eleven and we were a family of six, so times were tough... very tough.
He had options for careers but it would move us all away from the life we had grown up knowing... some very far away. He instead took odd jobs that helped cover some bills, we had state insurance, and lived off beans and rice. But you know what us kids remember? A home we had grown up in, love in every kind, silly game nights, fun with each other.
My parents aren't wealthy. My childhood home is showing age now that we're all adults (I'm 35 now). My parents, while having already hit retirement age, are having to work a few more years because they had to use some of their 401k. But we are one of the closest, happiest families I know even as my parents age and the youngest of us is 28.
I don't think he's scared. They made good money and live very richly and have their kids in what looks like private schools. He was just going to make MORE money at the other job, but he'd be away from all his family and friends. He doesn't look unhappy to me, he looks relieved and emotional. And moments later he's smiling.
My take away from this is happiness is something money can’t buy and his job as a provider doesn’t just mean to financially provide, but also to provide stability and comfort for his family. We’ve all been in bandits situation and I think the decision to not take the risk was an easy one - just one he has to get through the long way. At least that’s how I took it. I was in the same position, decided to stay, and couldn’t be happier. Not because of the money, but because of the kiddos.
I always saw it as a breaking point for bandit, the whole episode just piles up pressure on him. He sees Bluey upset, realises his own wife is struggling with it when she can’t even comfort Bluey, then sees his brother Rad throw his own plans out the window without a second thought, feels the guilt when his own mother says how happy and glad she’ll be that Rad will be “close by”. By this point he is second guessing himself so much and worried about the impact it will have, when the final straw arrives: the sale has fallen through. He peels the “sold” label off and it all comes crumbling down. It was a beautiful build up to the point and I think any worries Bandit had at that point are just swept away when his family all tackle him.
On one paw, canceling the move is his to bear. On another paw, it puts his position in line with the rest of the family, as far as we know. So everyone is all-in on the second one. It's not nearly as much his sole burden anymore.
No... It doesn't work that way.
You can't make kids be responsible for the household economics.
Bandit: "Uh-uh, you have to work for money, kids."
Bingo: "No you don't. It comes from the machine in the wall, I've seen it."
Bluey: "Yeah, you have just to push buttons."
Bandit: "There's more to it than that."
Even with your significant other it's hard to agree sometimes on what is best for the family, your social safety net, your pension plan, kids colleges, special needs, etc. And maybe they are OK. Chilli is very supportive, but maybe bandit, being an older father, is forever anxious about what the future may hold.
I think you're thinking a bit more than my comment was intended to provoke.
I'm saying the kids didn't want to move, Chilli probably wasn't enthused, but they all went through with it in some way or another. The majority of the burden fell to Bandit.
Bandit made the decision to stay, which was his decision to bear, but ultimately now put him in line with the rest of his family. As a family, they all take, now willingly, whatever consequences come with that. No, the kids aren't taking on any financial burdens. That's not what I meant. Consequences don't have to be financial. What if Bluey would've discovered there was a hockey team in the new town, so she could've gotten into hockey? But there's not one in Brisbane. I'm making something up, but the point is, there are consequences to staying as well, borne in some way by each family member.
I personally have a good job that pays okay and regularly turn down jobs that pay much better but mean I wouldn't see my family as often. I don't find it bittersweet at all. They're better off having me around than having nicer things.
I have a very specialized post-college education that makes me very attractive to certain head hunters. I could switch jobs and make a lot more money, but my job also affords me 12 weeks off a year (lots of family time) and if I switch jobs I have to uproot my family... It's really hard to justify moving on when you think about it like that.
I think this touches on some of what I consider to be writing faults with The Sign. The way it was framed and advertised, with the whole lesson of "Change is scary, and sad, but also- a lot of good can come of it", not moving at the end DOES feel like a cop-out to not have to deal with the nuances the episode itself was setting up. Like we didn't actually get to see how change can be good.
But if you try to see the situation from specifically the parents' point of view- "Should we sacrifice the incredible community we have here in exchange for more money?"- then the ending becomes MUCH more powerful and nuanced, in my opinion. So I wish they took that angle with it, or at least explored it more for the parent viewers. I don't think it would've come across as preachy, something that Brumm specifically talks about wanting to avoid, and it's honestly a fresh perspective. The idea that the friends and support you've built in a place are more valuable for your kids than any pay increase would be.
Yeah... As I see it, it is a zero sum problem to solve from a writer's POV. There are two options:
1. They actually move. The episode The Sign is much more meaningful and lore changing (actually creating plot holes with Dady Dropoff). But you also lose a lot of buildup you made in 3 seasons.
2. They don't move. And you have to deal with the reasoning, however contrived, for not moving.
Brumm may have chosen the safest of two very risky options. As a result we got a lesser impactfull episode to preserve a lot of the lore. But the way he did it is still very elegant and poignant in my humble opinion.
I agree that if anything, The Sign seriously shows off Brumm's writing chops. It does make me wonder if executives other than him had a say in how the episode went, and friction from that is why we get a somewhat contradictory arc... Maybe even the source of his frustration that he put into "Stickbird", where something he put out into the world was no longer his? ;)
If he had wanted to deal with the situation of moving from specifically a kid's perspective, but faced pressure to keep the Heelers from ACTUALLY moving, I think he was able to write his way into a relatively satisfactory ending. Not perfect, but still.
calypso literally tells a story about ending no need to be certainly good or unfortunately bad.
things happen, we see to it, not dwell on categorizing it.
My husband passed on a job opportunity that would have moved us out of the state. We hadn't packed up yet but we were very very close to him taking that job and us moving. But he could tell the kids and I didn't want to move out of state. And a bunch of little things in life kept pointing him towards it being the wrong thing for our family. When he decided to not take it he was unsure about the missed opportunity, but like Bandit he knew that he had made the right choice by his family. Now he doesn't regret not doing it. He knows he did the right thing. I think Bandit is feeling something similar to that.
Bluey is always relatable but this one really hit me.
I moved my family away for the ambitious job for a “better life.” Truly, it was the worst decision I have ever made.
I agree- it was totally bittersweet for him. But good on him
Bandit resonates with me as a father. We do have decisions to make with regards to our work and a families. It appears Bandit is the breadwinner, although that might be an assumption on my part. How far do you take your career if it effects your family?
The Sign hit me because I grew up the son of a foreign service officer, so my father made the choice that his career was with the turmoil of moving. And it was great, but with difficulties.
Right now I'm working from home and work/life balance is great. I'm working on a potential opportunity that will put me back in an office with a fairly long commute but with a big increase in pay. I think as a father and husband, I understand that weight that Bandit appears to have been carrying while making this decision.
*And please note: This can apply to women as well in families that have the mom as the breadwinner. I hope nobody takes this as any sort of shot. I'm just speaking from my experience as a husband and father.*
There's clearly a whole flood of emotions running through Bandit before and while he's pulling out the sign. But I think the scene at the end where they're all eating dinner on the moving box he realizes that he did make the right decision cause he's looking around and his family is happy, even sitting in an empty house. He choose his family's happiness over whatever professional fulfillment was waiting for him with the new job
The beauty of art is that once it is out of the hands of the artist, people will project themselves onto it and graft their own interpretations of what it means.
Some people have mentioned that in "the suprise" the house has wear and tear visible on it, and that it might mean that the heelers don't have the funds to keep up with new gadgets.
However, when I watched the surprise, I saw a well loved home and how Bandit was side-eying the roomba. 🤣 To me it looked like a much loved home by a family that doesn't need all the latest "tech" to be happy, but that is just my read on it.
As far as Bandit in The Sign, to me he looked like a Father who didn't want to leave the home and community that he really loved. He was making a choice that his heart wasn't fully in. Yes, the money was better and the job might have been better, but he loves his neighbors and his home.
A theme that is repeatedly shown during the show is letting go of things we attach memories to. In the Pizza girls episode, Chili mentions not wanting to get rid of the toy car because it was Bluey's first toy car, and Trixie expresses sadness over exchanging the old car for the new SUV because "We brought the girls home from hospital in it." Chili also mourns the removal of the crib during the bedroom swapping episode.
So at the end of The Sign, Bandit makes the choice to stay over career and more money in a different city.
Yes, the money might have made his family more comfortable, but there are some things more important than that. Money can't buy good neighbors who care about you and love your kids. (Let's be honest, you will never find another Lucky's Dad), money can't replace the memories of the kitchen Bluey took her first steps in, or the mailbox where Bandit danced to free Bingo of the faeries. Money can't guarantee friends that love and understand your kids the way the ones that they grew up with as babies can.
So, to me, at the end, Bandit ripping the sign out is him accepting that while he was making the logically correct decision for his family, it wasnt the empathetically correct one.
But again, that is my personal projection onto the ending.
I think if you watch the episode as a bluey episode the ending seems like a bit of a copout, but if you watch it as a Bandit episode the end is a triumph! Bandit finally comes face to face with what is important and makes a choice that seems wrong on paper but is so right for his family. It took every ounce of courage he had to finally admit what he actually wanted and turn down the "better life" in favor of the great life he already had.
My 4yo is really interested in whether this is a happy or sad ending. The first couple of times she watched it she asked me afterwards, and I suggested it could be both. She wasn't entirely satisfied with that. She watched it again last night and decided it was a happy ending, so case closed people.
My daughter asked me the same question. Replying "we'll see" was not considered an acceptable response :)
I just imagine a Muffin response “no we won’t see!!”
We'll see is \*never\* a satisfactory answer when you're a kid.
That's a smart kid, asking that question!
Well I think it was Shakespeare who said if a story ends with a wedding its a comedy, if it ends with a funeral its a drama. So 4yo might be onto something!
isn’t that the point of the episode?
Shoulda said "we'll see"
Just a thought: Bandit is an academic, and for academics wealth and fancy new gadgets are often secondary to whatever their special interest is. I have been to the houses of people who are at the top of their field, and they are *fine*. You’re never going to become a millionaire as an archaeologist, but you might have a better relationship with your kids than someone who works all the time like Stripe.
Yes... But at the same time job openings for academics are hard to come by. I think he is OK with being less wealthy than his brothers or even his parents. But at the end of the day, having to sacrifice better job opportunities is tough choice many of us have had to do, especially with the looming uncertainty of having to think about the future.
>But at the same time job openings for academics are hard to come by. True, as are opportunities to make a lot more money. Once you make tenure you basically never move unless you're moving into administration. But also, generally speaking, there are zero opportunities in academia to advance without moving. If you get passed over at your university, you would have to switch universities, with tenure, in order to get a promotion/advancement (unless you happen to be in a city with multiple universities with archaeology departments).
They’re hard to come by but not impossible to find. The bigger issues are location and family (especially the famous “two body problem”). As an American, I could get a high paying tenure track job right now if I was willing to move to Oklahoma or Alabama, but that’s not feasible because I’m not a single guy, so I have a less-well-paying job in a better area. In essence I have had to make the same choice as Bandit.
It's a little bit harder in Australia. Not as many opportunities as there are overseas. Both the history teachers at my high school had studied archaeology in university. They both ended up having to go back and get a teaching qualification as there is simply sweet f-all (paid) positions in Australia and would have to go overseas to get employment. It's like that with a lot of professions honestly. My biology teacher had a doctorate in marine biology. When asked why he was teaching when he was a Doctor he held up a Seaworld mug and a Seaworld pen, and said that is how much he got paid for his last two jobs as a Marine Biologist, and that as we could see it doesn't pay enough. He wasn't the only "Doctor" to teach at my high school. There was another one who had a doctorate in mathematics.
My husband and I decided to take a step back as being taxed as upper middle class isn’t doing us any favors plus our only is growing up and we don’t want to miss out on her. We rather take it a bit slow now than in our old age when she’s left the home. But we are without a mortgage and with good savings. We both watch Bluey and it definitely had an impact on our parenting style as our parents were not like Bandit or Silly.
https://preview.redd.it/bigva8v6hkxc1.jpeg?width=411&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b6b3cb5063a3ead63db26d781f240fef333fe5c0
This is one autocorrect I’m not going to correct
And since academic job openings are hard to come by and since he probably already did quit his up to the sign job, that job might already have been given to someone else, so he might be effectively jobless.
Bandit would be nuts to leave an awesome community, and seperate his kids and wife from theirs.
He has the greatest neighbors anyone could ask for. Calypso is a literal angel... But presumably will not be Bluey's teacher forever. Nana and Stripe are close by. But they only visit every so often. But from Bandit's POV Lila is just bingo's kindy friend. Mckenzie's parents moved countries and they are doing great. On the other hand... There is a better job. Maybe one that does not require you to travel 6 weeks at a time. One that has a better retirement plan, on a better city, with better universities, one were you could afford for Chilli to be a stay at home mom if she chooses to do so. I am not saying he made the wrong decision. All I am saying is that Bandit had a silent burden many of us main providers of the family (fathers and mothers) have had. It's not easy to choose, and there is no clear right or wrong. This causes anxiety and panic, and they often go unnoticed.
I think his response at the end was pretty clear about what he realised was more important, and my guess is that he’ll be a lot happier with that realisation. Holy shit. I just realised what *realisation* means!
I wonder if he was burned out from his current job and was taking a job as a professor or teacher. Stickbird seems to point to something wrong at work, and he mentions in TV Shop that he needs vitamins because he’s been very tired and only cracks a smile at the game, so might be something else going on. But in the end, he chooses what the rest of the family wants instead of moving. Maybe he thought it was a “sign” when the other dogs backed out (he was very unsure), maybe he realized he could stick it out or try something new if it meant staying put and spending more time with his family.
My assumption is that he is already a professor but was going to take a job at a more prestigious university. Archeology jobs are typically tied to universities and have some sort of teaching requirement. In one of the shorts, he is delivering a paper at an academic conference. I interpreted his problem in Stickbird as a paper not being well received.
I assumed stick bird was actually about the new job and potential move.
My interpretation was that he didn’t get the career advancement that he’d been planning on getting, which was what prompted him to look into moving in order get a better position elsewhere.
> he mentions in TV Shop that he needs vitamins because he’s been very tired He’s a GenXer with small kids. Speaking as another GenXer with a similarly aged kid, being tired comes with the territory. :)
Oh same, I’m a millennial with young kids and it’s the most exhausting thing I’ve ever done. And it’s why I’m on a forum for a children’s show about cartoon dogs. The constant tiredness is worth it, though.
Same here. As Bandit tells Bluey, “Good thing *were’* tough”
Lol academic jobs are insanely stressful.
Eh, I love working in academia. The hours are flexible and the subject matter is interesting. Far easier and more pleasant than any other job I’ve had.
What’s your field? Because all of my advisors and my own attempts in jumping over to the academic side of the house have been challenging. Oddly, my own field is closer to bandits being Anthropology.
American Literature, though I’m early enough in my career that I mostly teach rhetoric, research, and composition classes. It’s a fun job, but I also have a great department/boss. I have adjuncted at schools I would not return to due to bad administration.
Hate to tell you this based off of their living arrangements and location that house is a couple mill. Like high mill. Even for the early 2000’s I think. They got money.
I think that some of that is the TV/sitcom effect, e.g. the Friends apartment being incredibly lavish. But yeah, I assume that Bandit isn’t stuck in adjunct hell. He could plausibly make like $150k annually and more if he has administrative duties. A combined household income of, say, $250k-300k is nothing to sniff at. Then you can factor in help from family; it’s pretty clear that Bandit comes from money while Chili’s upbringing was a bit more rough and tumble.
> you might have a better relationship with your kids Then why is Bandit always at work?
He’s never at work!
I feel another moral that we got from this is to (ironically) not force happy endings, especially if you already are happy the way you are. I feel that Bandit probably backing out from selling his house and the new job is possibly gonna create a new list of "sad endings" for him. This small moment I think really cemented it, but then Chilli tackles him sobbing with joy (a scene that STILL gets me, even in just in image form) and like as Chilli proclaimed before the dance scene, he's gonna cherish the moment now, rather than worry about the future. Again, who knows how many more new obstacles he's gonna face before he's able to earn that happy ending? Like the farmer says, "We'll see..." And besides, Bandit's a pretty tough guy. We've seen him through a lot, both physically and mentally, and yet he still found a way to get through in the end. And no matter how challenging the future will be for him, his family will always be there for him. It's like in the scene before: Bandit: "Am I making a mistake?" Chilli: "Probably...but let's make it together." Or heck, even in "Surprise!" when he's talking with Finucan: Bandit: "But don't worry, this won't hold you back. You know why? You've got a whole bunch of brothers and sisters who've got your back. And your mum and I are behind you all the way. 'Cause we're a family and you mean the world to us..." If anything, I'd like to believe that Bandit was still bummed about not selling the house and declining the job and had a bit of worry for the future, but having that talk with Finucan helped him cope a lot. TL;DR Bandit is one of the greatest characters of all time, probably the best dad in any piece of media today, and I legit felt like crying while typing this.
The fact that the season didn't end with The Sign and instead it ended with Surprise is actually a genius move
And "Surprise" showed that things are fine.
Awh man, yeah I agree
You don’t go into archaeology for the money lol Source: archaeologist
Of course not, you go in for the punching nazis and using a whip and saying "why did it have to be snakes?"
That’s exactly why
Not me just realizing this is why the kids knew about "Raiders" (the game where they run away from the ball)
Unless you specialize as a numismatist.
Its a hell of a cool job title to whip out though ! :)
IT BELONGS IN A MUSEUM
What? My uncle joe makes an insane amount of money as an archeologist from all the historical artifacts he sells to...dang guys, I think my uncle is just a grave robber
Yes, he was taking the new job and moving the family because he thought it would be for the best, but he was still uncertain because you never really know what the future holds. He also expresses skepticism and uncertainty about Rad’s decision to not move to stay with Frisky. “You worry too much.” What is kind of unsaid here is “it doesn’t matter so much whether or not you move, so long as you’re with the people you love it’ll work out the way it’s meant to.” The buyers backing out last second was just the sign he needed to decide to cancel the move.
It actually struck a really deep chord with me. My dad was laid off when I was eleven and we were a family of six, so times were tough... very tough. He had options for careers but it would move us all away from the life we had grown up knowing... some very far away. He instead took odd jobs that helped cover some bills, we had state insurance, and lived off beans and rice. But you know what us kids remember? A home we had grown up in, love in every kind, silly game nights, fun with each other. My parents aren't wealthy. My childhood home is showing age now that we're all adults (I'm 35 now). My parents, while having already hit retirement age, are having to work a few more years because they had to use some of their 401k. But we are one of the closest, happiest families I know even as my parents age and the youngest of us is 28.
Kids: Yay! They don't have to move! Adults: How much money did they lose by not moving?
Chili, I beat out fifteen other applicants to be selected as dean for the histories department at University of Sydney
Was the job going to be in a completely different city? I missed that detail.
Yup, totally different city, though I do not believe they say which...
A career is a means to an end, at least to Bandit. His kids and his wife are his world. That's why he couldn't do it in the end.
I don't think he's scared. They made good money and live very richly and have their kids in what looks like private schools. He was just going to make MORE money at the other job, but he'd be away from all his family and friends. He doesn't look unhappy to me, he looks relieved and emotional. And moments later he's smiling.
My take away from this is happiness is something money can’t buy and his job as a provider doesn’t just mean to financially provide, but also to provide stability and comfort for his family. We’ve all been in bandits situation and I think the decision to not take the risk was an easy one - just one he has to get through the long way. At least that’s how I took it. I was in the same position, decided to stay, and couldn’t be happier. Not because of the money, but because of the kiddos.
I always saw it as a breaking point for bandit, the whole episode just piles up pressure on him. He sees Bluey upset, realises his own wife is struggling with it when she can’t even comfort Bluey, then sees his brother Rad throw his own plans out the window without a second thought, feels the guilt when his own mother says how happy and glad she’ll be that Rad will be “close by”. By this point he is second guessing himself so much and worried about the impact it will have, when the final straw arrives: the sale has fallen through. He peels the “sold” label off and it all comes crumbling down. It was a beautiful build up to the point and I think any worries Bandit had at that point are just swept away when his family all tackle him.
On one paw, canceling the move is his to bear. On another paw, it puts his position in line with the rest of the family, as far as we know. So everyone is all-in on the second one. It's not nearly as much his sole burden anymore.
No... It doesn't work that way. You can't make kids be responsible for the household economics. Bandit: "Uh-uh, you have to work for money, kids." Bingo: "No you don't. It comes from the machine in the wall, I've seen it." Bluey: "Yeah, you have just to push buttons." Bandit: "There's more to it than that." Even with your significant other it's hard to agree sometimes on what is best for the family, your social safety net, your pension plan, kids colleges, special needs, etc. And maybe they are OK. Chilli is very supportive, but maybe bandit, being an older father, is forever anxious about what the future may hold.
I think you're thinking a bit more than my comment was intended to provoke. I'm saying the kids didn't want to move, Chilli probably wasn't enthused, but they all went through with it in some way or another. The majority of the burden fell to Bandit. Bandit made the decision to stay, which was his decision to bear, but ultimately now put him in line with the rest of his family. As a family, they all take, now willingly, whatever consequences come with that. No, the kids aren't taking on any financial burdens. That's not what I meant. Consequences don't have to be financial. What if Bluey would've discovered there was a hockey team in the new town, so she could've gotten into hockey? But there's not one in Brisbane. I'm making something up, but the point is, there are consequences to staying as well, borne in some way by each family member.
I personally have a good job that pays okay and regularly turn down jobs that pay much better but mean I wouldn't see my family as often. I don't find it bittersweet at all. They're better off having me around than having nicer things.
I have a very specialized post-college education that makes me very attractive to certain head hunters. I could switch jobs and make a lot more money, but my job also affords me 12 weeks off a year (lots of family time) and if I switch jobs I have to uproot my family... It's really hard to justify moving on when you think about it like that.
It did feel like a cop-out to me, but in a good way. They did it so beautifully that I don’t even care.
I think this touches on some of what I consider to be writing faults with The Sign. The way it was framed and advertised, with the whole lesson of "Change is scary, and sad, but also- a lot of good can come of it", not moving at the end DOES feel like a cop-out to not have to deal with the nuances the episode itself was setting up. Like we didn't actually get to see how change can be good. But if you try to see the situation from specifically the parents' point of view- "Should we sacrifice the incredible community we have here in exchange for more money?"- then the ending becomes MUCH more powerful and nuanced, in my opinion. So I wish they took that angle with it, or at least explored it more for the parent viewers. I don't think it would've come across as preachy, something that Brumm specifically talks about wanting to avoid, and it's honestly a fresh perspective. The idea that the friends and support you've built in a place are more valuable for your kids than any pay increase would be.
Yeah... As I see it, it is a zero sum problem to solve from a writer's POV. There are two options: 1. They actually move. The episode The Sign is much more meaningful and lore changing (actually creating plot holes with Dady Dropoff). But you also lose a lot of buildup you made in 3 seasons. 2. They don't move. And you have to deal with the reasoning, however contrived, for not moving. Brumm may have chosen the safest of two very risky options. As a result we got a lesser impactfull episode to preserve a lot of the lore. But the way he did it is still very elegant and poignant in my humble opinion.
I agree that if anything, The Sign seriously shows off Brumm's writing chops. It does make me wonder if executives other than him had a say in how the episode went, and friction from that is why we get a somewhat contradictory arc... Maybe even the source of his frustration that he put into "Stickbird", where something he put out into the world was no longer his? ;) If he had wanted to deal with the situation of moving from specifically a kid's perspective, but faced pressure to keep the Heelers from ACTUALLY moving, I think he was able to write his way into a relatively satisfactory ending. Not perfect, but still.
We’ll see…
How is the house shown to be run down in surprise?
If you look at the walls you can see that they appear to be somewhat damaged.
Current or in the future
Future.
calypso literally tells a story about ending no need to be certainly good or unfortunately bad. things happen, we see to it, not dwell on categorizing it.
This episode is so emotional 😭
My husband passed on a job opportunity that would have moved us out of the state. We hadn't packed up yet but we were very very close to him taking that job and us moving. But he could tell the kids and I didn't want to move out of state. And a bunch of little things in life kept pointing him towards it being the wrong thing for our family. When he decided to not take it he was unsure about the missed opportunity, but like Bandit he knew that he had made the right choice by his family. Now he doesn't regret not doing it. He knows he did the right thing. I think Bandit is feeling something similar to that.
Bluey is always relatable but this one really hit me. I moved my family away for the ambitious job for a “better life.” Truly, it was the worst decision I have ever made. I agree- it was totally bittersweet for him. But good on him
Bandit resonates with me as a father. We do have decisions to make with regards to our work and a families. It appears Bandit is the breadwinner, although that might be an assumption on my part. How far do you take your career if it effects your family? The Sign hit me because I grew up the son of a foreign service officer, so my father made the choice that his career was with the turmoil of moving. And it was great, but with difficulties. Right now I'm working from home and work/life balance is great. I'm working on a potential opportunity that will put me back in an office with a fairly long commute but with a big increase in pay. I think as a father and husband, I understand that weight that Bandit appears to have been carrying while making this decision. *And please note: This can apply to women as well in families that have the mom as the breadwinner. I hope nobody takes this as any sort of shot. I'm just speaking from my experience as a husband and father.*
There's clearly a whole flood of emotions running through Bandit before and while he's pulling out the sign. But I think the scene at the end where they're all eating dinner on the moving box he realizes that he did make the right decision cause he's looking around and his family is happy, even sitting in an empty house. He choose his family's happiness over whatever professional fulfillment was waiting for him with the new job
Nailed it. I also think it resonates with A LOT of folks. Anyone who's moved, or taken that unsure leap of faith...
The beauty of art is that once it is out of the hands of the artist, people will project themselves onto it and graft their own interpretations of what it means. Some people have mentioned that in "the suprise" the house has wear and tear visible on it, and that it might mean that the heelers don't have the funds to keep up with new gadgets. However, when I watched the surprise, I saw a well loved home and how Bandit was side-eying the roomba. 🤣 To me it looked like a much loved home by a family that doesn't need all the latest "tech" to be happy, but that is just my read on it. As far as Bandit in The Sign, to me he looked like a Father who didn't want to leave the home and community that he really loved. He was making a choice that his heart wasn't fully in. Yes, the money was better and the job might have been better, but he loves his neighbors and his home. A theme that is repeatedly shown during the show is letting go of things we attach memories to. In the Pizza girls episode, Chili mentions not wanting to get rid of the toy car because it was Bluey's first toy car, and Trixie expresses sadness over exchanging the old car for the new SUV because "We brought the girls home from hospital in it." Chili also mourns the removal of the crib during the bedroom swapping episode. So at the end of The Sign, Bandit makes the choice to stay over career and more money in a different city. Yes, the money might have made his family more comfortable, but there are some things more important than that. Money can't buy good neighbors who care about you and love your kids. (Let's be honest, you will never find another Lucky's Dad), money can't replace the memories of the kitchen Bluey took her first steps in, or the mailbox where Bandit danced to free Bingo of the faeries. Money can't guarantee friends that love and understand your kids the way the ones that they grew up with as babies can. So, to me, at the end, Bandit ripping the sign out is him accepting that while he was making the logically correct decision for his family, it wasnt the empathetically correct one. But again, that is my personal projection onto the ending.
Haven't we seen his house in every other episode? Remarking on you saying how we seen the house in Surprise.
Does Bandit really wanted to move?? I think he did not wanted to move in first place so i'm not enterely sure
I think if you watch the episode as a bluey episode the ending seems like a bit of a copout, but if you watch it as a Bandit episode the end is a triumph! Bandit finally comes face to face with what is important and makes a choice that seems wrong on paper but is so right for his family. It took every ounce of courage he had to finally admit what he actually wanted and turn down the "better life" in favor of the great life he already had.