|
Trentina "Tina" Masterson is a sister of Trent Masterson and Eddie Huang's girlfriend. She is portrayed by Isabel Oliver Marcus.
History[]
Season 5[]
Tina began to develop a crush on Eddie Huang, drawing a heart around his face in the yearbook and even procuring a Cattleman's To-Go takeout menu. After ordering takeout on Valentine's Day, which is delivered by Eddie himself, Tina slips a love note professing her attraction to him, although she does so anonymously. After looking at Eddie's yearbook in her room, her brother Trent enters to tell her that dinner is ready, only for Tina to berate him for entering her room without knocking.[1]
When Eddie comes to the Masterson house to play NHL 99 on Trent's Nintendo 64, Tina enters Trent's room to notify him that their mother needs help with the stereo. Left alone with Eddie, Tina admits to him that she likes him romantically and finds him adorable, and asks him if they're going out now. Stammering and unable to come an answer, Tina tells him that she can see he needs some time to formulate an answer, adding that he knows where to find her. Tina then alerts her brother of her attraction to his friend and that she had asked him out.
Tina kisses Eddie on the cheek
Tina is at home when Eddie comes to see her, attempting to tell rebuff her advances. However, Tina convinces him to go out for ice cream together, and Eddie enjoys the date with her. During their ice cream date, Tina listens to Eddie talking about how he likes to experiment with food, and Tina adds that she is the only one in her family who likes spicy food, as the rest of the Mastersons prefer eating bland food with mayonnaise. Eddie is shocked when Tina is appreciative of his various culinary ideas, and Tina tells him not to call his ideas stupid; to further make him happy, Tina even offers him the rest of his ice cream, and Eddie warms up to her. Eddie and Tina then walk back to the Masterson house together, and Tina gives Eddie a kiss goodnight on the cheek before entering her home.
Tina is angered at Eddie's behavior
Tina takes her Louisville Slugger and heads to the baseball diamond with Louis, where she successfully hits all the balls, impressing Eddie. Tina then presents Eddie with a gift – two certificates for a cooking class, where the pair could master their culinary skills and learn to cook new dishes. However, Eddie is put off by the idea of actually putting in the work, claiming that the food ideas he had were just mere ideas and that he had no plans to implement them. Put off by Tina, Eddie breaks up with her, claiming that Trent was right about her being much, and she vents her anger by returning to the baseball diamond. She then returns home and berates Trent for his contribution.
After Eddie realizes that an adult relationship involves challenges and that it was not Tina's fault for trying to make him become a better version of himself, Eddie heads to her home to rekindle their relationship by bringing one of his food experiments. While enjoying the bite she takes, Tina refuses to take him back at the moment, stating that she may consider doing so later but that Eddie needed to work on himself and that she was not looking to date a project, and that Eddie needed to work on himself. When Eddie asked how much time that would take, Tina merely replied that it would take as much as time as Eddie needed and only he would know how long, and that she couldn't hold his hand while he worked on his self-improvement.[2]
While eating lunch in the school cafeteria with her friends, Tina is approached by Eddie, who tells her that, in order to work on his self, he has started to write in a journal as a means to indulge his introspective side. However, Tina merely walks away. Tina, who has become a fan of the TV show Sex and the City, is later informed by Trent that Eddie has started watching the show because of her interest in it and that he had helped his friends skip the line at the arcade. Tina then approaches Eddie at school and notes her appreciation for his recent actions. She invites him to hang out the next day so they could discuss the show, only for Eddie to ask for a rain check as he wishes to treat his friends for brunch, and she accepts Eddie's choice.[3]
Tina is later treated by Eddie to a romantic steak dinner at the Cattleman's Ranch kitchen that Eddie cooked all by himself. Eddie is glad that Tina finished her steak, with Tina stating that she always commits to whatever she starts. While the date seems to go well, it is cut abruptly short when Louis Huang enters and notifies Eddie that he did not ask for permission before using the work kitchen, although not before complimenting Tina on eating everything on her plate. As a result of the two Huangs arguing with one another, Tina bids the two farewell and returns home. Shortly after, Tina is paid a visit at home by Eddie, who informs her that he is going to Taiwan but that he would like her to be his girlfriend before he leaves. He adds that while he understands they were figuring out their relationship, he was a one-woman man and that she was the only woman for him, and that he would be thinking of her during his time abroad. Eddie also adds that when he returns, he would like to treat her to a romantic dinner comprising of hot wings, and Tina agrees to be his girlfriend, much to Eddie's joy.[4]
Season 6[]
Tina holding hands with Eddie
At school, Eddie and Tina discuss their six months of being in a relationship. The next day after school, Tina suggests that they study at Eddie's house instead of her own, and Eddie replies that they cannot since the house is being fumigated. Tina responds that Eddie had said the same thing the week before and that she wished to meet his mother Jessica, although Eddie informs her that she met Louis and Jessica was just Louis with longer hair. Tina realizes that Eddie does not want her to meet Jessica and asks why, prompting Eddie to lie that he does want them to meet but that they cannot since Jessica is out of town indefinitely. Just then, Jessica calls out to Eddie, having decided to pick up Eddie from school, prompting Eddie to bid Tina a haste farewell before rushing to the family minivan.
Tina introduces herself to Jessica
Tina then makes her way to the Huang household to have an impromptu meeting with Jessica, introducing herself as Eddie's boyfriend and announces her intent to get to know Jessica better. Eddie stumbles onto their meeting and panics, hastily introducing the two before trying to get Tina to go to a movie with him. Instead, the two women decide to spend time with each other, informing Eddie that his presence is not required. As Eddie leaves, Jessica asks Tina what intentions she has for her son, only for Tina to reply asking what intentions Jessica has for her boyfriend. The women sit at the kitchen table but find out that they are similar and become friends. After giving each other a high five, Eddie rushes into the kitchen, thinking the sound was that of a slap.
Tina invites Jessica out
Eddie is then forced to study in his room alongside Tina and Jessica, who criticize Eddie's study habits gleefully, much to Eddie's annoyance. Tina and Jessica discuss Jessica's first kiss, and Eddie huffs that he is trying to study and is shocked at that statement coming from his mouth, and believes that he needs a break. He invites Tina for a milkshake, only for Tina to invite Jessica as well. During the car ride, Tina discusses how they need to increase Eddie's course load for his senior year and the two women praise each other, further irritating Eddie.
Tina and Jessica observe Eddie's antics
The next day at school, Tina continues to talk about Jessica to Eddie, and heads to the Huang house after school to spend time with Jessica. Eddie returns home and has Evan wheel in Jenny, intending to have her play music, although Jenny is asleep. Evan pushes the button himself, playing Amy Grant's music. Eddie then exclaims that Tina hates Amy Grant, whom Jessica loves, and asks Jessica if she is going to just take being told she is tasteless by a high school girl. The two women are confused as they haven't said a thing, but Tina points out to Jessica that Eddie, with a subtlety of an elephant, is attempting to cause friction between them to split them up. Angry, Tina asks Eddie what is wrong with him, citing that first he didn't want her and Jessica to meet out of fear they wouldn't get along, only to try and divide them once they did. Tina then storms out of the living room, and Eddie follows her to the kitchen where Tina is packing up her things. He apologizes to her, believing they would be breaking up, although Tina adds that if she were to break up every time he did something stupid, they would never have lasted. Tina tells him that she too had only warmed up to Jessica because she was his mother and she wanted them to get along, and the two make amends.[5]