opie taylor is the son of andy taylor and his late wife. a good-hearted, normal little boy (about six when the series began), most of opie's lessons come from his close relationship with his father and his great aunt bee. he is not prone to get into trouble and spends a great deal of time around the jail. at one point, aunt bee considers this to be a bad influence, and when opie runs away from home briefly, she relents and allows him to visit the jail after school on a conditional basis.