[2]: 18-19 Ernest T. Bass is a loud, wild, and rowdy hillbilly with a scruffy, unkempt appearance, a maniacal laugh, and a penchant for troublemaking.
His appearance within the otherwise sedate town of Mayberry is a sign that trouble will soon be coming for Sheriff Taylor and Deputy Barney Fife.
When threatened with the law, he is adept at eluding Sheriff Taylor and Deputy Fife, taunting them with his famous catchphrase, "You ain't seen the las' of Ernest T.
[4]: 180 He breaks the Darlings' window in the middle of the night, and then attempts to serenade Charlene by performing a sort of spoken-word song called "Old Aunt Mariah," accompanied by drumming a gas can, which he "tuned" by tightening and loosening the cap.
The family then decides to conduct a faked wedding, to which Ernest T. reacts by devising a nefarious plan to steal the bride, only to discover that it was Barney in disguise.
After she smacks him with a ruler for being disruptive, Ernest T. begins to bond with Miss Crump, calling her his "mother figure," in his signature drawl.
"[6] When he learns Malcolm is from England, Ernest swears a blood feud based on his Irish ancestors' history of British oppression.
Despite appearing in only five episodes during the series' entire run, Ernest T. Bass is one of The Andy Griffith Show's best remembered characters, and remains a fan favorite.