What if things had been different in Jenna’s life?

That’s the question MTV’s Awkward will be answering in the sophomore season’s penultimate episode, airing Thursday, which cast members likened to It’s a Wonderful Life. (Jenna in a cheerleading uniform?!)

The season finale will also cause heads to turn. Why? Because Jenna (Ashley Rickards) will finally make a definitive decision (yes, for real) between Matty (Beau Mirchoff) and Jake (Brett Davern) – though how it’ll play out remains to be seen. “Where we left off in the last episode picks up in the finale,” Mirchoff revealed to The Hollywood Reporter. Molly Tarlov went one step further and declared that “nothing will ever be the same at the start of season three.”

VIDEO: 'Awkward's' Beau Mirchoff, Brett Davern on Matty vs. Jake Part 2

Rickards and her co-stars spoke to THR to chat up the final two episodes of season two, what they hope to see in the extended third season and seven teases to tide you over.

Matty and Jake Have a Heart to Heart: It’s been a battle between the best friends all season long. Now that the secret’s out – that it was Matty who more than popped Jenna’s cherry – the two bros may be forced to hash it out, using their words this time. “Matty and Jake discuss the whole situation with each other,” Mirchoff says of Jenna’s forthcoming decision. “They’re OK with whoever Jenna ends up picking.” But are they really? After pausing for a moment, Mirchoff conceded: “On the outside, yes. On the inside, no.”

A “Philosophical” Ending: While season one ended on a rather jaw-dropping cliffhanger in the finale, it won’t be the case this year. “The ending is not so much a cliffhanger, it’s a different tone and a different theme,” Mirchoff teases. “You definitely feel like there’s something missing, something you’re longing for or that you need to know. It’s a good feeling to have, I think, for viewers.” The finale “is not a reveal,” Rickards adds, it ends on a “philosophical note.” When asked how Davern reacted to the moment of Jenna’s decision, he admitted that he wasn’t “surprised” – for the most part. “The writers will never going to do anything that’s untrue to the fans.” Color us intrigued.

VIDEO: 'Awkward' Co-Stars Break Down the Big Matty-Jake Fight

Team Matty and Team Jake “Will Be Satisfied”: The debate has gone public in the high school hallways of Awkward, but Rickards reassures fans of both camps that the finale will bring good things for both sides. “Both sides will be very satisfied -- both Team Matty, Team Jake and … Team Jenna!” she exclaims. “It might not be hashtagging, but it’s a team and I’m on it.”

Sadie’s Relationship Fears Uncovered: Season two saw a more insecure Sadie than ever before and as Tarlov teases, her romantic entanglements with Ricky Schwartz (Matthew Fahey) could turn out to be bad news. “Maybe her worst nightmare with Ricky will come true and he may pull out the rug from under her,” she tells THR, “but maybe he’s a great guy.” What Tarlov – who hopes Sadie and Matty will continue to explore their dynamic in season three – does know is that Sadie will be “coming to peace with herself and not having to get it from outside influences, for her confidence."

Surprises, Scandals and Sexiness – and Ninjas?: Jenna’s friend, Ming (Jessica Lu), is about to get racy by season’s end. “Ming will do something that [her boyfriend] Fred would not approve of,” actor Kelly Sry tells THR. Lu added more context, calling the moment “sexy and scandalous.” Sry did offer an interesting finale tease, coyly saying, “Fred hops a fence like a ninja.” Odds are it’s Ming-related: “You’ll see,” Lu says. And don’t worry, the Asian Mafia will rear its ugly head by the finale. Jessika Van, who plays Ming’s nemesis Becca, teased as much: “Something’s definitely going to happen. You’ll see what she’s orchestrating.”

STORY: 'Awkward' Showrunner Offers 10 Teases for End of Season 2

Lacey and Kevin, All Quiet on the Home Front?: Jenna’s parents have been going through their own troubles this season, the catalyst being Lacey’s (Nikki DeLoach) ballsy move in penning Jenna’s “carefrontation” letter. For Lacey and Kevin (Mike Fiaola), it’s a matter of time before things will get back to some semblance of normalcy. “He knows a good thing when he sees it and really, this is a good thing,” Fiaola says of the Lacey-Kevin marriage. How the Hamiltons deal – “a lot of make-up sex,” says DeLoach – is telling. However, Lacey and Kevin will focus their attention on Jenna as the season winds down. “Immediately after that, our priority becomes Jenna,” DeLoach says, “and her life, where she’s going and her journey.” Fiaola agreed, adding, “Jenna is the centerpiece of their lives.”

Still Sour Over Lacey’s “Carefrontation” Letter: Though Lacey’s reasoning for penning the letter may give her some sympathy, there’s one person who is willing to give her a hard time: her husband. “She did something that can be viewed in most people’s eyes as extremely sadistic and extremely self-centered and not reflective of a mother who has her daughter’s best interests at heart,” Fiaola says. “Lacey should bow down [to Kevin].” DeLoach understood Kevin’s perspective, particularly on this touchy subject matter: “Lacey has made a lot of bad choices. She would never walk out on anyone she loves but she doesn’t always make the right choice. She needs to grow up and learn a lot. She is absolutely right to accept Kevin back, he’s the best thing that’s happened to her.”

Awkward airs 10:30 p.m. Thursdays on MTV.

E-mail: Philiana.Ng@thr.com