Can we talk about the final seven words of Monday’s Awkward finale?

Just when it seemed like Jenna and Matty had finally reached their unreachable happily-ever-after — she drove him up to college and they decided to remain a couple — Jenna wrapped the hour-long episode with this fan-displeasing bombshell: “Of course, that’s not quite what happened.”

Naturally, we had to direct our thoughts and fears at showrunners Mike Chessler and Chris Alberghini, both of whom were willing to lend a sympathetic ear.

“What we’re exploring [in Season 5B] is what I think happens to any couple in high school,” Chessler tells TVLine. “They’ll have to start negotiating how to sustain a relationship once you’re going to different colleges.”

As for how Jenna plans to return home, considering she drove up with Matty and left her car in his driveway? That’s a no-brainer.

“She’s going to take Amtrak or get a really cheap Southwest flight,” Chessler explains. Adds Alberghini, “And then she’s going to take an Uber and go back to Matty’s house to get her car, which she left in Matty’s driveway, much to Matty’s mother’s chagrin. … Matty’s mother is pissed.”

Below, get more of Alberghini and Chessler’s thoughts on the Season 5A finale, what’s ahead in Season 5B and whether or not a sixth season could be in the cards.

TVLINE | Val’s big speech to Jenna felt final. Have we seen the last of her?

ALBERGHINI | You never know when Val is going to pop up, so I wouldn’t want to say one way or the other. Jenna has been a very special person to Val. She was Val’s student, but Val also thought of herself as Jenna’s close friend. Now, her close friend is going out into the big wide world, and I think it’s hard for Val to let go. She wanted to give as much random advice to Jenna as she possibly good.

TVLINE | We also need to discuss Jake and Tamara’s almost-kiss. Will their lingering feelings be explored in 5B?

ALBERGHINI | They’ve had a very up-and-down relationship, but no matter what, they have a very deep connection. I think we saw in the finale that they obviously have feelings for another. Whether they’ll act on those feelings or not, we’ll have to wait and see.

TVLINE | I was glad Sadie reunited with Sergio, but was surprised things ended that badly with Darlene. Any hope for that mother-daughter relationship?

CHESSLER | I don’t think a mother-daughter relationship is ever fully closed, as long as both parties or living. And even then, there’s all kinds of psychological scarring. I think, for now, the story is closed, and what I like about that is that there’s some real truth to all of it: Sadie realized her mother is who she is and Sadie has to navigate that. She’s not going to change her mother. So the question is: Does Sadie choose to have a relationship with this person knowing what her limitations are?

TVLINE | As we head into the show’s final half-season, what are your thoughts on Matty and Jenna? How has that philosophy changed from when you came on board in Season 4?

CHESSLER | We’re hopeful that 5B is not going to be the end of the show. That’s not been determined yet, one way or the other. But 5B would be the end of this chapter of the story, because if we continue the show, I think it would be another era and another part of the journey. In terms of the Matty/Jenna story, it was very clear to us when we took over the show what it was about, and … we’ve ended up in a place that’s very organic, based on who these characters are. The reason people relate to Jenna and Matty’s romantic arc is because it’s so true to high school relationships.

ALBERGHINI | Also, [it was about] navigating being in a relationship with someone who is not always easy to be with. Both Jenna and Matty would say that about each other. They’ve been together and they’ve been apart, they’ve hurt each other and they’ve comforted each other. But no matter what, as the series progressed, their understanding of each other only became deeper. Whether they’re going to be together in life remains to be seen, but as long as the series continues, they will always have a deepening connection.

Awkward fans, your take on the big finale? Hopes for 5B? Thoughts on a potential Season 6? Grade the episode below, then drop all your thoughts in a comment.

–