A Bluey episode is sure to trigger the unknown blues in us. Just when you think what an animated series geared towards children could entail, Bluey astonishes you as an adult with answers to the most unquestioned part of your childhood.
The Bluey episode, titled “Space,” has recently been a subject of online discourse, where people are realizing what their specific behavioral patterns mean.
Adults have the tendency to dismiss a child’s certain actions as mere tantrums. According to Child Psychology, even a toddler stores a memory that they may later not recall entirely, but the effects of which are ingrained in their subconscious minds.
These memories manifest into specific inherent characteristics as they grow up. Some might feel confident, appreciated, & secure, while others may trigger their anxiety and stress levels, feeling trapped or having no sense of belonging, isolation, and other negative emotions.
Psychology also suggests that, more often, negative memories tend to linger in our conscience for prolonged periods, and the happy ones are subdued. These memories/trauma can put an individual on the fence with unexplainable coping mechanisms. We might not remember which memories trigger certain emotions, but these are channeled into our personalities.
This might seem like a heavy concept, but the Bluey’ Space’ episode explores trauma through the eyes of a 7-year-old. Let us navigate Mackenzie’s story through their little play. We will dissect the story with the following objects, symbolizing Mackenzie’s state of mind.
MAKE-BELIEVE SPACESHIP: Why Is Mackenzie Fascinated By The Black Hole?
The episode starts with Mackenzie, Jack, and Rusty playing as astronauts on the mission to reach Mars. The three little anthropomorphic dogs are imaginative, curious, and adventurous. They use an abandoned boat as their spaceship. This little boat is the familiar comfort space for Mackenzie, surrounded by his friends. But one short statement piques his curiosity when he hears about a black hole.
After this, Mackenzie is determined to explore the black hole and abandon their original mission. But you can see in his eyesโ it’s not just curiosity anymore; it’s more like a longing to find answers. This make-believe spaceship is actually his reality, but he wants to enter an alternate reality only because ‘something’ is pulling him toward it.
His expressions suggest that he has detached from reality, acting almost absent-mindedly.
TETHER: Why Does Mackenzie Seek Isolation?
The tether is a metaphor for the strong ties you have with your loved ones. Whenever one feels anxious, or the thoughts create chaos in the mind, your trusted confidants can pull you out of the negative thoughts. But more often, people who experience trauma tend to isolate themselves, fearing that no one would understand their plight.
Throughout the episode, Mackenzie creates scenarios such as meteors colliding as an excuse to untether himself from the safe space and isolate himself instead. Although Jack and Rusty are constantly pulling him back to them, implying that they are his true friends.
But Mackenzie’s state of mind is tethered to his negative thoughts.
He also once blames Jack and Rusty for deliberately leaving him behind. But Jack quickly rebuttals, telling him it was his idea. They are unable to fathom why Mackenzie would act this way. And Mackenzie’s reply sheds light on a harsh truth that he is oblivious to. He tells them that he doesn’t really know why he blamed them, but he just wants to be abandoned and isolated at the moment.
This indicates that he is unaware of his trauma but feels the repercussions of it through his unexplainable desire.
TUNNEL: Does Mackenzie Find The Answer Through The Black Hole?
For one last time, Mackenzie attempts to untether himself from his friends and walks towards the black hole alone, with the rope still tied around his waist. But Jack and Rusty soon realize that he is missing and follow him. Mackenzie tells them that he has to enter the black hole. Rusty trusts his friend and encourages him to go alone; Mackenzie frees himself from the rope.
And now the brave little soldier enters the black hole. As he walks through the darkness, he sees the light at the horizon, and he is transcended to past memory/dream-like sequenceโ
A young puppy Mackenzie comes out of a tunnel slide. But he does not find his mother waiting for him. Young Mackenzie experiences a slight fear of being alone and possibly abandoned by his mother. This fear turns into panic as time goes by.
That is when Calypso, a wise mentor to the kids, tells him these are just his unwarranted fears. If he looks at this in a positive light, his mother has not really abandoned him. That is when he sees his mother standing behind the slide.
And out of this past memory, we see Mackenzie walking out of the tunnel, finally finding answers for his trauma. The “black hole” that seemed like a scary trauma was actually just a tunnel that symbolized his rite of passage to let go of his anxiety.
What Does Bluey Space Episode Mean?
SEPARATION ANXIETY
This is a pretty common phenomenon among children who are highly dependent on their guardians. I am pretty sure you must have felt lost at some point as a child, at a grocery store, in a vast gathering, or in a situation when you can’t find your parents momentarily. Even though it’s not a big deal for an adult, a child perceives this as abandonment. This leads to separation anxiety.
Anxiety can also manifest in certain behaviors, such as being prone to anger, excessive worrying, socially isolating self, and general distrust for people.
This episode explores how a minor trauma can lead to the above manners in Mackenzie. Even though he is a kind friend, he does come across as socially unaware, blunt, and miscalculating a situation. But even then, his intentions are pure, and not to mentionโ he is just a child.
This walk through memory lane gave him a tunnel vision (pun intended) that no matter what happens, he can always trust his friends, family, and mentor to have his back. The episode titled “Space,” denotes quite literally Mackenzie’s need for space to come to terms with his fears.
What are your thoughts on this episode? How did you interpret Mackenzie’s actions?
Let us know in the comments section below.
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