Bluey Season 3 Episode 35: How The Sad Space Episode Explained Adult Trauma To Kids

For years, "Bluey" has been a fixture in families' homes, performing exceptionally well on Disney+. With colorful animation and simple plots featuring funny dogs, it's easy to see why kids have taken to the show, and parents are more than happy to sit down with them. And like many other great kids' cartoons, "Bluey" has been known to tackle difficult subjects that are nonetheless important for kids to be exposed to so that they can open up powerful conversations. And "Space" is one of the most impactful in recent memory.

"Bluey" Season 3, Episode 35 sees MacKenzie, Jack, and Rusty playing Space Explorers together. However, MacKenzie keeps disappearing, wanting to be by himself. Eventually, he walks into a "black hole" and visits a scene from when he was a puppy where he momentarily lost track of his mom by a playground. It's an emotional scene, as it demonstrates a traumatic memory and how that still impacts MacKenzie all that time later. 

There's a lot to take in from the episode, especially seeing how the episode doesn't explicitly address what's happening. But that ambiguity is intentional, so viewers can draw their own themes from what transpires. Like other great TV series, it can foster conversation between parents and their kids, helping them understand complex concepts at a young age.

MacKenzie revisits a past event, suffering the trauma of feeling left behind, even if it was brief. MacKenzie, then going away from his friends, takes on greater meaning. Why does he leave? Does he suffer from depression or separation anxiety? There are many directions to take conversations after watching "Space," and parents can talk to their kids however they see fit. 

Many people took their confusion online, and Ludo, the production company behind "Bluey," gave an explanation to Kidspot about what adults should take away from "Space." The statement read, "Each episode of Bluey is written in a way that allows the audience to make up their own mind about the details or the meaning of the storylines, allowing for many different interpretations."

MacKenzie's arc in the "Space" episode of "Bluey" can be taken many different ways. Ultimately, kids may experience moments in life where they want to be by themselves and don't feel like playing with their friends. This can manifest from different sources, and plenty of children can likely relate to losing track of a parent at some point. Some kids may react to this just fine, while others feel the ramifications much later. "Bluey" is all about fostering discussions between parents and kids that they may not have had otherwise, and talking about deep, complex emotions is critical in a child's development.