The Talking Machine

Season 2, Episode 13, Aired
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Episode Summary

Nellie and Laura both begin clamoring for the affections of a boy at school. Angered when Jason indicates a preference for Laura over her, Nellie attempts to sabotage their relationship by using her brand-new talking machine as a malicious tool for blackmail.
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Fan Episode Reviews (2)

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  • Nellie is up to her old tricks again and, as usual, Laura is the target.

    6.0
    "Fair"
    By Lady_Lancaster, Oct 30, 2011 Report Abuse
    It's pretty obvious that things are not going to turn out well when both Nellie and Laura develop a crush on the same boy ay school. Laura has little but her charms to recommend her but Nellie decides to up the stakes in her own favour when she persuades her parents to buy her a wonderful new inbention called The Talking Machine, which can be used to record and play back someone's speech. Of course, in order to humiliate Laura, Nellie decides to use it to trick her into talking about her crush on the boy in question and then play it back for others to hear it.

    A pretty average episode all round. The two young girls did a good job but the script let them down, unfortunately.moreless

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  • Laura is humiliated when Nellie and her "talking machine" spill the beans about her crush on a fellow classmate.

    7.0
    "Good"
    By ceosmom, Dec 19, 2006 Report Abuse
    Nellie and Laura both have a crush on Jason, the smart-as-Ben-Franklin new boy in school. Nellie also has another new love--a "talking machine" that records the words of anyone who speaks while the machine's crank is turning. When Nellie sees that Jason would clearly rather spend time with Laura, she hatches one of her standard evil plans. She lures Laura up to her room, where the conversation turns to Laura's love for Jason. While Laura dreamily describes her hoped-for future with the budding scientist, Willie cranks away from behind a dressing screen in the room. The next day at school, Nellie plays Laura's words back to the class. A humiliated Laura runs all the way home and has a little breakdown as she tells Pa what happened. Feeling that Nellie's parents should be made aware of the situation, Pa heads for the mercantile. Upon hearing the story, Nels marches upstairs, belt in hand. Unfortunately, we don't get to witness the beating he administers to his awful daughter. What we do witness is Jason professing his love for Laura the next day in front of the class, and them walking home after school hand in hand.

    This episode is sweet, but the character of Jason is too old (about 14-15)for Laura, who in turn is too young (about 10) to be "in love". They probably should have let Laura age another couple of years before attempting this episode!moreless

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Trivia, Notes, Quotes and Allusions

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  • Trivia

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    • When Nellie is in her room throwing a temper tantrum after dinner, her squeaky mattress can clearly be seen bouncing up and down as she pounds her fists on it. Though patented in Germany in the mid-1870's, innerspring mattresses were rarely available in the United States until Sealy Co. began mass producing them in 1906. Nellie would more likely have had a bed like everyone else in Walnut Grove, a thin "mattress" filled with horsehair, down and/or hay, atop a wood bed frame. Edit

  • Notes

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    • Filming Locations: Filmed at Big Sky Ranch, Simi Valley and Paramount Studios, Hollywood, California. Edit
    • When a boy whom Nellie and Laura both have a crush on seems to prefer Laura, Nellie snobbishly remarks that she's "surprised he wears shoes." Later, though, Nellie seems to be far less particular when she dates (and marries) Luke Sims in "Here Come the Brides." Luke NEVER wore shoes--a fact that Mrs. Oleson sniped about throughout that episode. Edit
    • Edison demonstrated the phonograph in late 1877, which would probably place this story at least a year or so later in time. So it seems to be a contradiction that the later episode "Centennial" from the same season of Little House on the Prairie indicates the year 1876 (the Centennial was the 100th anniversary of the US Declaration of Independence in 1776). Edit

  • Quotes

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    • Mr. Godfrey: You know, I bet that you would get a pure pleasure out of hearing your wife's voice on this here machine. Harriet: (calling to him) NELS! Nels: The only joy I'd derive from that, Mr. Godfrey, would be in turning it off. Good day. Edit
    • Laura: If Ma says it's all right, can I invite Jason to supper tomorrow night? Charles: If your Ma says it's all right, I don't see why not. Laura: Thanks, Pa. If I'm not gonna be afraid of Nellie's talking machine, I don't see why she should be afraid of Ma's dumplings! Edit
    • Nels: (about the talking machine) That's amazing...but who cares? Mr. Godfrey: Who cares?! Nels: I mean, what is it for? Mr. Godfrey: Well, you heard it. It plays music! Nels: Well, we've got a piano. Mr. Godfrey: Yeah, but you can put your own voice on there. Nels: (pauses) What for? Mr. Godfrey: So you can hear your own voice talking back to you. Harriet: I am quite capable of hearing my own voice, Mr. Godfrey. I can hear quite clearly right now, and it tells me no. We don't want to buy your machine. Mr. Godfrey: Is that your final word? Nels: Well, it's my wife's, so that makes it the final word. Edit

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