Little House on the Prairie/The Talking Machine

The Talking Machine
Season 2, Episode 13
Airdate	January 14, 1976
Production Number	2012
Written by	Harold Swanton
Directed by	Victor French
Produced by	John Hawkins
Stream
← 2x12 His Father's Son	2x14 → The Pride of Walnut Grove
Little House on the Prairie — Season Two

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The Talking Machine is the thirteenth episode of the second season of Little House on the Prairie, and the thirty-seventh episode overall.

Starring: Michael Landon (Charles Ingalls), Karen Grassle (Caroline Ingalls), Melissa Gilbert (Laura Ingalls), Melissa Sue Anderson (Mary Ingalls), Lindsay Sidney Greenbush (Carrie Ingalls)

The Town: Richard Bull (Mr. Oleson), Katherine MacGregor (Mrs. Oleson), Charlotte Stewart (Miss Beadle)

Guest Star: Eric Shea (Jason)

Special Guest Star: George Furth (Hannibal Godfrey)

Featuring: Alison Arngrim (Nellie Oleson), Jonathan Gilbert (Willie Oleson)

Plot Overview

Laura and Nellie vie for the affections of a new boy named Jason who is interested in science; when Jason chooses to spend time with Laura instead of Nellie, Nellie becomes jealous and gets revenge by using a "talking machine" that records voices; Willie was enlisted to hide under the Nellie's bed and record a conversation between Nellie and Laura about Jason.

Nellie later demonstrates the talking machine at school and plays back the conversation. (This, when it was expected the contents would be something else, such as maybe Nels recording a large order so he could later write it down and then telegraph the order to his supplier, one of Rev. Alden's sermonds, a song performed during church or perhaps a college professor's lecture, etc.)

The classmates are amused, and even Mary is at first, but Laura is humiliated and runs out of the school in tears. Miss Beadle tells Nellie to stop playing the machine and has to swat her away when Nellie, a smirk on her face, claims "the lever's stuck." Charles finds out about the incident and informs Nels, who forces Nellie to confess the scheme. After Nels apologizes for all the trouble Nellie caused, he grabs a leather strap and tells Mrs. Olesen that he is punishing both Nellie and Willie; when Harriet objects, he tells her to play the machine so she won't have to hear him punishing his troublemaking children. In the end, Laura and Jason meet and share a nice moment together, and Jason thanks Laura for sticking up for him.

Trivia

Allusions and References

• Watergate: A possible allusion about secret recordings causing trouble, although the stunt Nellie and Willie pull on Laura – embarrassment and humiliation over what turns out to be puppy love over a classmate – is nowhere near the political scandal that was still making headlines in January 1976 (when this episode originally aired) and had caused the downfall of President Richard Nixon less than a year and a half earlier.