"THE TALKING MACHINE"

Subject: "THE TALKING MACHINE" Tue Oct 09, 2007 6:49 pm

[Note from Carol regarding Editing]
Since I do the Episode Reviews, I have been given acces in the Episode Reviews forum to edit, move posts so that all posts regarding an episode stay together. If I post an episode review that has some post already started.... instead of me using the quotes feature... I will just edit the first post of whoever started the thread about that episode to include the pictures of the episodes at the top of the thread. That way, all comments and posts remain in their original form. [End of Carol's Note]

“THE TALKING MACHINE”

Jason is a young man who is very interesting in new inventions and electricity. Laura offers to help him out. Both Laura and Nellie are trying to get his attention. One day, Laura invites Jason to dinner and he accepts. This causes Nellie to want to get even. Nellie accomplishes this by having Laura come to her room and talk about her feelings for Jason. At the same time, Willie is secretly recording their conversation. In class, Nellie lets everybody here the recording. When Laura hears this, she is embarrassed and runs out of school. When Laura does see Jason again, she finds out that Jason feels the same way about her.

In this episode, a traveling salesman comes to Walnut Grove and tries to sell a "talking machine" (phonograph) to the Olesons. The Olesons see no use for it and pass on the offer.

Meanwhile, Laura has fallen for Jason, a boy with an intense interest in science, experiments, and inventions. Laura helps Jason conduct Benjamin Franklin's experiment of flying a kite with a key on the string in a thunderstorm. Nellie also has eyes for Jason, and Mrs. Oleson decides they could use the talking machine after all, as it would be a good way for Nellie to attract Jason's attention.

Charles works to repair a wheel on the salesman's wagon, and since the salesman doesn't have enough cash to pay for Charles' services, he offers Charles the talking machine. Charles thinks the machine is amazing, but he insists on cash for his services so he can pay his bill at the mercantile. Mr. Oleson happens to walk in on the discussion, and he offers a three-way deal -- Mr. Oleson would get the talking machine, and he would call off Charles' debt.

Nellie demonstrates the talking machine for Jason, who had been standing outside the mercantile talking to Laura. Nellie invites Jason inside, and Jason eagerly follows, leaving Laura to herself. Laura thinks Jason is interested in Nellie, but she doesn't realize he's only interested in how the talking machine works. Laura invites Jason to dinner, and he accepts. Later, at the Oleson house, Nellie storms to her room, upset that Jason has accepted Laura's invitation to have dinner at the Ingalls house. Nellie starts to smash the talking machine, but then she thinks of a plan to use the machine to her advantage.

Nellie invites Laura to her room, pretending to be nice to her. She tricks Laura into talking about her feelings for Jason. What Laura doesn't realize is that Willie is hiding and secretly recording what Laura is saying. The next day at school, Nellie demonstrates the talking machine, playing back what Laura thought she had told Nellie privately. In front of the whole class, Laura is heard saying she thinks about marrying Jason and that when she thinks of him, she feels "all warm and cuddly inside". Humiliated, Laura runs out of the school to the field where she and Jason had performed their experiment and falls to the ground crying. Mary catches up with her and tries to comfort her, but Laura tells Mary to leave her alone. Mary runs home and tells Charles what had happened. Charles, working in the field, immediately stops what he's doing, tells Mary to put the team away, and runs to Laura. Charles talks to Laura about how people tend to hide their feelings and how people like to know that other people care about them. He hugs Laura, wipes away her tears, and they head back home.

Charles informs Mr. Oleson of what Nellie had done. Mr. Oleson confronts Nellie and Willie, and they admit to their misbehavior. Laura is reluctant to go back to school, afraid of what Jason will think of her and how the other children will react. Mary holds her hand as they approach the school. As Laura walks in, she finds the children laughing because someone had written "Jason Loves Laura" in a heart on the blackboard. Miss Beadle demands to know who is responsible. After nobody responds for a while, Jason stands up and admits that he wrote it and that it is the truth. Laura looks back at Jason and smiles.

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First, a few nitpicks. The phonograph in Walnut Grove is surely an anachronism, as the phonograph wasn't invented until 1877, and it would surely have taken several years for it to make its way to rural Minnesota. Next, wouldn't Miss Beadle have punished Nellie on the spot? At the very least, I would have expected her to have walked over to the mercantile after school and discussed Nellie's actions with the Olesons. Finally, wasn't Jason a bit too old for Laura? How old was he, 14 or 15? And Laura was what, 11? I know it was a different time back then, but I'd think Charles would have been a bit concerned about Laura's interest in a boy so much older.

All that aside, I really, really like this episode! It's one of my favorites -- probably in my top five. What I like most about it is how Charles comforts Laura and the discussion he has with her after Laura has been humiliated. It would have been so easy for him to say, "Oh, you'll get over it," but he stopped what he was doing and ran to Laura and had a heartfelt discussion with her. I also like how Mary attempted to comfort Laura. I have a theory for how good a LHotP episode is -- if Laura cries, it's a great episode.

One final thought -- when Nellie thinks of her plan to use the talking machine to record Laura's voice, she gets a grin on her face that reminds me of the grin the Grinch got on his face when he thought of his plan to steal Christmas from the Whos in Whoville.
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Subject: Re: "THE TALKING MACHINE" Tue Oct 09, 2007 8:03 pm

I was thinking the same about the "Talking Machine" thing. It wasn't invented until 1877...and it reached Walnut Grove a little too soon. But Walnut Grove was more progresist and modern than New York, London and so on...I believe that Walnut Grove was the very first place in the whole world to have a telephon...and chewing gum. I'm not sure of it, but they mentionned chewing gum before Mary would travel to Chicago to see John Jr. there. Think

And what about Laura drinking some kind of soda pop in the Arizona epie? I think that the first soda pop was around in England in the very first 1870's years (The Shah of Persia mentionned a kind of Soda in London in 1873...He became so impressed by it that began to produce soda in his country! But some years later..and Laura was in RURAL America!!! Think

)

But, yes...Walnut Grove is a very anachronical town. Do you remember in : "He was Only Twelve"? Doctor Baker talks to Charles about psychologic experts that could help him. There was some psychiatry back then, and some people that was starting to study psychological damages, but not psychonalise yet, not even in New York, London or Paris...OOoohhh!! These writers!!! mad

However, in the case of Laura's love for Jason, I don't see why her parents must have been concerned about it. They knew that Laura will not being involved for real with Jason, and the rule is that little girls fantaisises with being in love with older boys, as little boys fantaisises with big girls (notabily, their teachers). But of course, it is not a serious thing. And this is not a "modern" thing or an anachronism. If you read memories of people from these times and even from XVII or XVIII Centuries, you'll notice that young chldren in platonic love with older ones is a normal thing. But just pay attention to this word: PLATONIC. Parents wouldn't worry about such a candid thing.

Ways could have changed, but feelings remain the same...For human being remains the same.

Vanesa.
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Subject: Re: "THE TALKING MACHINE" Tue Oct 09, 2007 10:34 pm

Nellie was wrong to record Laura. LOL!
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Don't let the turkey's get you down!

Subject: Re: "THE TALKING MACHINE" Thu Jan 24, 2008 11:17 pm

Copy of my note from the very top of this thread. See note & pics above.

Since I do the Episode Reviews, I have been given acces in the Episode Reviews forum to edit, move posts so that all posts regarding an episode stay together. If I post an episode review that has some post already started.... instead of me using the quotes feature... I will just edit the first post of whoever started the thread about that episode to inclue the pictures of the episodes at the top of the thread. That way, all comments and posts remain in their original form.
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I really like this episode. I thought Jason was too cute! I also liked the way Mary would tease Laura about Jason GreenSmile

This is one of the episodes where we see how mean Nellie can be and towards the end when she plays the machine in front of the whole class, you can just see in her face how cruel she is… *cue Psycho music theme there* lol

Loved loved the ending! Love

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Subject: Re: "THE TALKING MACHINE" Fri Jan 25, 2008 11:04 am

I liked this one! I think the best part is:

(Nels grabs a belt)

Harriet: Nels! what are you going to do?

Nels: Something I should have done years ago.

Harriet: NO! I won't hear of it!

Nels: Crank! You won't have to!

I think they needed it! That broke poor Laura's heart!
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Subject: Re: "THE TALKING MACHINE" Sat Feb 02, 2008 5:59 am

This is one of my favorites. It has a great heart-to-heart discussion between Charles and Laura, and it shows Nellie at her worst. Well, maybe not her absolute worst.
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Subject: Re: "THE TALKING MACHINE" Sat Feb 02, 2008 1:01 pm

Subject: Re: "THE TALKING MACHINE" Sat Jul 19, 2008 3:01 am

this was a good episode! it really showed how mean Nellie Oleson can be!

Subject: Re: "THE TALKING MACHINE" Sat Jul 19, 2008 3:14 am

What I liked about this episode is Pa's way of stepping in when he had too .....he portrayed such controlled anger ......very well acted by all