A Bluekenzie headcanon in my mind (except it's not what you think)
It's been like a very long time since I last commented on something relating to a ship, but as of recently, I have been very invested in another one. It's from a certain Australian cartoon which I think you all have heard about.
Ofc, it's Bluey.
I'm actually quite surprised by it. It's supposed to be a preschool show, but if someone told me it was a sitcom along the lines of a Nickcom, I would've believed them wholeheartedly. But I'm not here to talk about my thoughts on it itself. We're here to talk about this specific pairing.
I mean, I personally cannot hate this pairing. I can actually kinda see it happening when they get older, given how they get along so well... for the most part, but that's what I want to discuss, and as a note, I'll do it from a platonic point of view (they ARE children after all, though even they can develop feelings back then).
So, my headcanon might be a bit of a controversial idea, but I'm still willing to share it for you. I have the headcanon that Bluey and Mackenzie didn't actually start on the right foot and didn't get along initially. Ok, it doesn't sound that bad, but I know there will be some fans who don't like it. So, before you complain, I'm gonna explain a bit more on what I mean. Yes, I'm taking this way too seriously...
But that aside, let's get started
The Elaboration
So, before the move to Australia, my idea is that Mackenzie, while he didn't hate the company of others and probably had a couple of friends, he still wasn't a very sociable kid, often preferring to play on his own, as he mostly found it less overwhelming and a lot more relaxing; it also didn't help that a few kids thought he was kinda weird (the leech scene, anyone?). So, while it was still a bit heavy on him because he was going to miss some of his family members, the move from New Zealand didn't really impact him that much.
His parents were already aware of the social issues he was having back in NZ, so after looking, they signed him up to Calypso's school from a recommendation, in hopes that their son will finally get to make more meaningful friendships. Initially, Mackenzie didn't interact much with the others, both because he was shy and because he still preferred being on his own, but eventually, with just a bit of help from Calypso, he did start to interact more and get along with the rest of the class... except for Bluey. Because of a game in which they both disagreed, Mackenzie thought that Bluey was quite annoying, weird and indecisive, while Bluey saw Mackenzie as bossy and mean, and thus mostly avoided each other, except for the occasional raspberry and dirty look.
Now, this is where things get interesting. Remember how in "Café" it took longer for Bandit to become friends with Fido? Well, in the inverse of that situation, Bandit and Chilli met Mackenzie's parents on their own terms (maybe while grocery shopping) and quickly became friends. Because of this, the Border-Collies invited the Heelers to a barbecue they were hosting, not being entirely aware of the relationship their kids had at the time.
Upon getting the whole picture before the day came, each kid's parents had to tell their kids to give each other a chance, which they reluctantly accepted. When the day finally came, while their parents were talking, Bluey and Mackenzie were still trying to avoid each other while the latter played with Bingo. However, when they came up with a game that involved three people, Bluey eventually included Mackenzie, and, to their surprise, they actually managed to find common ground with each other there and had fun; after that, they started to talk and actually saw they did have some more things in common than they thought. After that, they finally put the rift they had behind them and started their friendship.
The Explanation
So, in my personal opinion, this headcanon could explain a few things regarding Bluey and Mackenzie, such as why they argue from time to time and why they didn't take Winton's comment in "Barky Boats" very well and try to avoid each other in that same episode.
In the same sense, that's why he becomes so desperate in the games and the way he reacted in "Shops"; it could be the first time, but it's interesting to think how he knows it's far from the first time.
However, I also think that it makes the relationship stand out a bit more, since it shows that, even if they are very close friends, they still tend to not always be on good terms with each other, especially if you compare it to Bluey's other friendships, in which, while it's possible they still disagree in occasions, as all friends do, they get along fine for the most part, and the same could be said with Mackenzie in regards to Rusty and Jack. This makes the bond between them all the more deeper.
And before you ask, in regards to "Fruit Bat", it's still plausible if you give time between it and everything I have theorised. Just so you know.
So, am I weird for analysing the friendship of two anthropomorphic puppies like if it were a Franz Kafka novel? Maybe, but I don't care. I just hope you enjoyed it!
