Monday, May 10, 2010

THE DEPUTY FERGUSONS: LIKE FATHER, LIKE SON?

Martha Plimpton gave one of the best guest-starring performances on TV this year in the 'Fringe' episode "Northwest Passage" as Sheriff Ann Mathis.

Patrick Gilmore appeared as her Noyo County deputy Bill Ferguson, who became the focus of a manhunt when he went missing during a murder investigation. There was an unspoken bond between them that passed for a "relationship" until the case brought it all to the surface. I don't know if we'll ever see these two characters again on the show; the way things ended in the episode - as Peter Bishop met his true father from the Other Side, "Walternate", and Agent Dunham and the main Toobworld's Walter Bishop flew out to Washington state to find Peter - it's pozz'ble, just pozz'ble, that an appearance by Sheriff Mathis would be necessary for continuity.

But if not, I'd like to make a theory of "relateeveety" for Deputy Bill Ferguson. As it's likely we won't ever see him again, and since we never learned any details of his personal life, I'd like to suggest that his father is the former deputy of Mayberry, North Carolina, Warren Ferguson. Warren Ferguson was the nephew of Floyd the Barber, and Andy took him on as his deputy after Barney Fife left the force and moved to Raleigh to become a "big city police detective". But after eight episodes, Deputy Warren Ferguson was no longer seen on 'The Andy Griffith Show'. Basically, he disappeared after the Wild West Show came to town.

I'm going to suggest that he moved out to Washington State and took a job as a deputy there in Noyo County. He may even have been offered the job of Sheriff. There he married and had a son, William, some years later. And when he was old enough, William Ferguson - Bill, as he was known by his sheriff, Ann Mathis - followed in his father's footsteps and joined the local law enforcement. By this time, Warren was long retired from the force, which is why we didn't see him in the 'Fringe' episode.....

Like I said, it's just a theory of relateeveety......

BCnU!


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