grabs Warren's pistol and fires it in pursuit of two counterfeiters on their vehicle as they are attempting to flee. The sheriff badges worn by Andy and Barney are six point stars; the stars on their shoulder patches have five points. Andy regularly used reverse psychology on people making them see the error of their ways. He would help transgressors by enabling them to draw their own moral conclusions. Andy had a keen eye for booby traps, and often shielded Barney from both career and social landmines. Andy's pride in and love for his hometown is very evident in his work and his homelife. Early shows depict Andy as having a naïve demeanor and "aw-shucks" personality with home-spun humor which, actually, cover a wise and insightful outlook into people and situations, sometimes catching those who misjudge his intelligence off guard. Barney is often depicted as having grandiose opinions of his ability as a law enforcement officer, resulting in embarrassing situations which Andy wisely covers without hurting Barney's already sensitive nature. In the late 1st and early 2nd seasons, Andy begins to develop moral no-nonsense character traits, which serve in mediation for the problems of other sitcom characters, especially Barney. Later shows, particularly those after Barney's departure, depict Andy as more serious and stressed by the situations arising in each episode; in lieu of his sense of humor from earlier episodes, most of the humor is from Andy's consternation with others. Famous quotes "Well, I'll be." (Spoken by Andy when he's excited or surprised in a good way.) "I appreciate it and good night." (Spoken by Andy in the sponsor spots, when he's "advertising".) "You beat everything, you know that?" (Spoken by Andy when Barney makes a bad mistake.) "Now, now, Opie." (Spoken by Andy when he's trying to explain something to his son, Opie.) "Simmer down." (Spoken by Andy when someone is overly excited.) "That was extry good!" (Spoken by Andy when someone performs something well.) The mystery of Opie's mother When the series opens, several years have passed since Opie's mother died. Andy mentions in the backdoor pilot from The Danny Thomas Show that he lost Opie's mother when Opie was "the least little speck of a baby". Opie is 6 years old when the show opens (born in 1954), and it is more than likely (based on Andy's testimony) that Opie's mother died at Opie's birth or shortly