Is ‘Bluey’ ending? Fans say bonus episode ‘Surprise’ feels like an ‘epilogue’

Parents across the world sobbed into their pavlova on Sunday, April 14 as they watched the 28-minute supersized season finale of "Bluey" with their families.

But it wasn't the end for Season Three of the hit Australian kids TV show.

A bonus episode of "Bluey," aptly titled "Surprise," premiered on Disney+ at 12 a.m. ET April 21 / 9 p.m. PT April 20. It also aired Sunday on Disney Junior at 10 a.m. and the Disney Channel at 10:30 a.m. ET.

This animated children’s show has delighted adults as much as — or even more than — children.

The extra-long Season 3 episode “The Sign” was quite a departure from the seven-minute episodes viewers have been used to. It included a chase, a wedding, a move and a baby and left both kids and parents alike emotional.

“Surprise” reverted back to the show's typical under 10-minute format, but its ending brought just as many questions about what could be next for the Heeler family.

Warning: Spoilers ahead for the latest "Bluey" episode, "Surprise."

The episode opened with Bingo telling her mom she needed coolers because she's "having children." Bluey then poses two big questions: "Will I have children when I grow up?" and "What is having children like?"

The answer is shown rather than told when their dad, Bandit, walks in and the two pups immediately swarm him and ask, "Will you play with me?"

Bandit soon gets worn out trying to play two separate games — with very different rules and expectations — with Bluey and Bingo. Bingo's game is comparable to playing with baby dolls.

Then, Bluey overhears her dad talking to one of Bingo's "kids" and say, "You've got a whole bunch of brothers of sisters who've got your back. And your mom and I are behind you all the way. 'Cause we're a family, and you mean the world to us."

So, Bluey decides to sacrifice her game to play with Bingo and Bandit, leaving her dad to muse, "That's the thing about kids... they're always surprising you."

Then, to the surprise of many viewers, the episode flashed forward to show an adult Bluey. Mom Chilli now wears glasses and Bandit seemingly can't hear as well. Bluey and her mom go see Bingo outside, but the doorbell rings. Bandit opens it, and the camera flashes to a tiny pup holding a toy laser outside. As the toy whirs, Bandit says, "Oh no," before the episode ends.

Some fans suspect the new guest to be Bluey's future child, calling the future of the show into question.

"Past and Future," one viewer wrote on X, sharing side-by-side scenes from the episode pointing out the similarity between young Bluey and the new character.

"For a show that isn’t ending, the last two eps sure FELT like a series finale + epilogue," another wrote.

Could the last two episodes possibly indicate that the show is — gulp — ending? For real life?

Why is ‘Bluey’ such a big deal?

The Australian TV show "Bluey" began a slow roll into Americans' hearts in 2019. Competing with action-packed animated shows like "Paw Patrol" and "PJ Masks," the show seemed to be an outlier. There were no car chases or villains. Some episodes occur in a single setting. It didn't rely on gendered stereotypes. In fact, many viewers didn't know whether Bluey and younger sibling Bingo were girls or boys. (They're both girls, by the way.)

Instead, "Bluey" focused on everyday (and often mundane) family moments brought to life through imagination and creativity.

An ordinary balloon suddenly became a long-lasting game of "Keepy Uppy." A single piece of asparagus became a magic wand. A tree stump became a helicopter.

The show teaches parents how to "play" with their children. At a time when parenthood seems to be filled with scripts and if/then scenarios for consequences, "Bluey" shows parents how to play open-ended games with their children that build on everyday events.

Bluey's mum and dad, Chilli and Bandit, are not perfect.

Chilli seems to have sensory overload and needs time and space to reset. Bandit can be a bit obtuse and short-tempered. (For reference, check out the genius "Flat Pack" episode in which Chilli and Bandit argue their way through assembling IKEA-style furniture, or “Burger Shop,” which seemingly deals with Bandit’s inability to get the kids out of the tub using gentle parenting techniques.)

But they're always trying their best, and that's the point.

A-list actors like Joel Edgerton, Natalie Portman, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Rose Byrne and Eva Mendes have voiced cameos on the show. As a character, Bluey has toys, plushes, books, bedding and collaborations with Home Chef and Hanna Andersson. Bluey even made her debut as a giant helium balloon in the 2022 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.

Why would a beloved show reach its conclusion at the height of its popularity? While the supersized April 14 episode, “The Sign,” may not mean the end of the Heeler family’s journey, it certainly felt like an ending of sorts.

Is ‘Bluey’ ending after ‘The Sign’ and ‘The Surprise’?

According to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, "Bluey" executive producer Daley Pearson said "The Sign" was a trial run to see how viewers like the longer length.

“It’s the most beautiful episode we’ve made,” said Pearson.

Scary Mommy talked to the voice actors who portray Bluey’s mum and dad for more insight.

Melanie Zanetti, who plays Chilli, said that the season finale is “an emotional rollercoaster.” Meanwhile, Dave McCormack who voices Bandit, said, “I was surprised at how stressful it is.”

About the future of the series, Zanetti said, “For all we know, it is just a season finale. No one tells us anything, but that’s what we’ve been told so far, it’s just the season finale.”

"The Sign" had a lovely thru-line about the cliché parent response, "We'll see."

As TODAY's own Hoda Kotb and Jenna Bush Hager have explained, "We'll see," usually means a big fat "NO" in parent language. But in the world of Bluey, "We'll see" is much more nuanced.

Nervous that her family might move, Bluey tells her teacher, Calypso, about her concerns. Calypso then reads the class a story about a farmer who experiences a lot of life's ups and downs. After each one, people ask him, "Is this a good thing or a bad thing." The farmer simply responds, "We'll see."

"Is that it? What happens next?" asks Bluey's classmates. (Coincidentally, these are the same questions parents are asking about the fate of the show.) Meanwhile, Bluey wants to know if "We'll see" is a happy ending or a sad ending.

Wisely, Calypso says, "Everything will work out the way it's supposed to, Bluey."

Meanwhile, "The Surprise" ended on a cliffhanger, calling into question if the glimpse at Bluey's future is a sneak peek, the setting for future stories, or simply an ending.

Is there going to be a ‘Bluey’ Season 4?

According to Parents, "Bluey" writers were always planning to take a break after the third season. But so far, all signs have pointed to an eventual return.

"Bluey" producer Sam Moor told BBC Radio, "No, it is not the end for 'Bluey.' I'm sure we have many more surprises in store for you." A show spokesperson "double confirmed" to the Australian Broadcasting Company that they have "no plans to end the show.”

Wackadoo! That was a nail-biter. But when and how the show will reappear is still unclear.

Creator Joe Brumm has been very protective of the show’s content, especially since much of it is based on his family's experiences. (He has two daughters, and growing up, his family owned a blue heeler dog named Bluey!)

He told Deadline that storylines are usually "related to something I’ve learned having kids, or my wife has experienced or just something I notice that my kids keep doing. An episode really wouldn’t start until I’d found a bit of truth like that. I wouldn’t necessarily understand it and often the episode is an exploration of that."

Now that Brumm's kids and the young voice actors playing Bluey and Bingo are a bit older, will the characters grow up, too?

"We get a lot of requests to age the characters up," Brumm told Deadline. "It would completely change the show, but there would be something really sweet about bringing through the new younger characters and having Bluey and Bingo at that babysitting age. That would definitely make a bunch of fans very happy.”

This article was originally published on TODAY.com