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"Maria Speaks"
Season/Series: 19 (US)
Number in season: 6a[1]
Original Airdate: United States May 24, 2016[1]
United Kingdom June 15, 2015[2]
Australia May 6, 2015[3][4]
South Korea May 5, 2015[5]
Credits
Written by: Vanessa Wiegel
Storyboard by: Jeremy O'Neill
Episodes
Previous
"One Ornery Critter"
Next
"Postcards from Binky"
Read transcript

"Maria Speaks" is the first half of the sixth episode in the nineteenth season of Arthur.

Summary[]

Maria has always been a silent fixture in Mr. Ratburn's third-grade class but her time to speak has finally come.[2]

Plot[]

Arthur talks about how quiet Maria is. She is impossible to find at hide and seek, writes answers in class down instead of saying them, and goes trick-or-treating as a mime. Arthur realizes that he has never heard her speak. When he wants to talk to her, she hides.

Maria Speaks

Mr. Ratburn announces that it is his class's turn to do the weekly school news show. He assigns the roles and makes Francine the director, Buster in charge of the weather, Muffy of arts and culture, George of sports, and Maria is the lead reporter.

In the girls' room, Maria tells her friend Jenna that she is afraid that everyone will now find out that she stutters. Jenna encourages her, saying that it might be the start of a career as a journalist. Maria likes that idea.

When the kids prepare the show, Maria appears dressed like a journalist and lets Jenna do the talking for her. Maria wants to do an interview, but cannot say with whom. Jenna pretends to arrange an interview with the president.

Maria and Jenna talk in Jenna's room. Maria decides to interview someone who will do all the talking.

At the final rehearsal, Maria decides to interview Muffy, who is happy to talk about herself, but misinterprets Maria's silence and ends up confessing that she is sometimes selfish; however, she does care about people. Francine is annoyed and tells that its a news show not Hoping with Hoprah, and that Maria needs to find someone else to interview.

In the school corridor, Maria overhears Mr. Ratburn talking and decides to interview him.

That night, Maria has a nightmare of making only animal noises and the other kids wondering what is wrong with her. Francine and the kids laugh, because she has a stutter. She then wakes up from her nightmare.

Maria is nervous on the day of the show and stutters so badly that Francine cuts to Buster. Maria admits that she stutters and runs into the woodshop room, where she talks freely to the school hamster. Mr. Ratburn follows her and offers to help her practice for the next school news show.

Over the next weeks, Maria practices with her speech therapist, with Jenna, and in front of a mirror.

When Mr. Ratburn's class is doing the news show again, Maria does a report on stuttering and interviews Mr. Ratburn, who used to stutter himself. Maria draws out some initial letters, but avoids actual stuttering. After the show, the others congratulate her and she is eager for the next show.

Characters[]

Major[]

Cameo[]

Mentioned or pictured[]

Trivia[]

  • This is the only episode to feature Maria's name in the title.
  • Despite being on the show since "Arthur's Eyes", this is Maria's first speaking role.

Episode connections[]

Cultural references[]

Errors[]

  • When Maria is seen from behind at the news desk, her shoes are pink. The shoes are gray in all the other scenes.
  • Alberto is seen at Lakewood, even though he is a teenager.

Gallery[]

Main article: Maria Speaks/Gallery

References[]

  1. 1.0 1.1 Maria Speaks/Postcards from Binky « Arthur « KET. Kentucky Educational Television. Archived from the original on April 30, 2016.
  2. 2.0 2.1 BBC iPlayer - Arthur - Series 19: 11. Maria Speaks. BBC. Archived from the original on June 17, 2015.
  3. Arthur - Series 19 Ep 26 : ABC iview. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Archived from the original on May 7, 2015.
  4. Catch Up on Arthur - Series 19 Episode 26.. TVCatchUpAustralia.com. Archived from the original on May 7, 2015.
  5. 마리아의 생방송. EBS. Archived from the original on May 6, 2015.



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