Tina Belcher is no hero; she puts her bra on one boob at a time just like everyone else. She is a strong, smart, sensual woman, and she don’t need no man. That doesn’t mean she doesn’t want one, though. And she has her sights set on one - Jimmy Pesto Junior. Tina’s been in love with Jimmy Jr. since day one, drawn in by his butt and his killer dance moves. But honestly, she could do so much better. Jimmy Jr. is basically a f**kboy in the making.
Think about it - he’s always had a love-hate relationship with Tina. He makes rude comments to and about her when more popular people are around, treats her like she’s lesser than him, and is only nice to her when he sees someone else expressing interest in her ("Two for Tina"). Now I’m not saying Jimmy Jr. is a bad guy, he just has a lot of growing up to do, and is not ready for the kind of relationship and commitment Tina needs.
That’s not a bad thing, but Jimmy just wouldn’t be able to handle Hurricane Tina. Tina needs someone who will always be by her side and will support her no matter what. That person isn’t Josh, or Darryl, or Dr. Yap, or even Jeff (“Tina and the Real Ghost”). Nope, it’s none of them. It’s Zeke.
Now think about it - I know it may seem like a bit of a weird match, but it actually makes a lot of sense. Zee has always been there for Tina; he and his cousin gave her and Louise a ride to the Boyz 4 Now concert when they were in a bind, and when Tina was a reporter for the school news he became the Mad Pooper so that she would have an interesting story to follow (“Broadcast Wagstaff School News”).
He even goes so far as to outright tell Tina that they will be getting married one day (“Midday Run”). Zeke is a ride or die. He would never treat her like dirt the way Jimmy has in the past, or sign her Valentine’s Day card with ‘from’ instead of ‘love’ (“My Fuzzy Valentine”).
Sure, Jimmy Jr. has had some redeeming moments. He agreed to go out on a date with her, and he was into her erotic friend fiction when she read it aloud to the whole cafeteria at lunch time. And he was her first kiss, which has to count for something. But he was reluctant to go to her birthday party because of his father, and has been rude and dismissive to Tina on more than one occasion. He’s not in it for the long haul. Zeke is. He understands Tina, and knows what she needs from a man.
I know that most people are firmly Team Jimmy Jr. when it comes to the contest for Tina’s heart. In fact, most people don’t even think of Zeke as a contender. But that’s just because he’s playing his game in stealth mode. But regardless of your opinion on the matter, I’ll leave you with this final thought: Zeke knows his way around a kitchen, as exhibited when he becomes the head chef of the Home Ec-staurant (“Bob and Deliver”). And they do say that every girl marries their father.
