I’m a sucker for a well-crafted will they/won’t they story. There’s just something so inherently compelling about the combination of furtive glances, emotional duplicity, and barely concealed yearning that accompanies a potential relationship. Oh, that’s right. I said yearning. No one’s immune to the wicked magnetism of this cagey emotion. It’s the great universal equalizer, which is one of the many reasons why the will they/won’t they trope has always been such a successful television staple. There’s a cozy sense of personal investment when you can relate to a television show. No series understands that concept better than NBC’s rollercoaster of hilarity known as Superstore, which is why it should come as no surprise that the sitcom has transformed Amy and Jonah into the best will they/won’t they couple on TV.

Binge-watching may have irrevocably altered the way modern will they/won’t they couples are presented, but the adorable relationship between Amy and Jonah is a refreshing throwback to sitcoms of a bygone era. Portrayed with magnetic aplomb by America Ferrera and Ben Feldman, the two spend their days corralling their eccentric co-workers at a Walmart-like retail store (Cloud 9) away from insanity while sharing a variety of flirty moments with one another. The actors share a palpable chemistry and their characters have an organically antagonistic relationship as Amy’s assertive personality continuously clashes with Jonah’s pedantic nature and obsessive need to prove he’s the smartest person in the room.

No gimmicks. Just two charming, pleasant people engaging in some harmless work flirting. Well, relatively harmless work flirting.

No will they/won’t they would be complete without a romantic obstacle, and Superstore’s detour to Amy and Jonah’s happily ever after — which is more organic obstruction than obvious plot contrivance — comes in the form of Amy’s husband, Adam. This isn’t like Ross’ girlfriend Julie on Friends or Roy from The Office, Amy’s marriage, though rocky, is a genuine romantic barrier. Breaking up with a boyfriend is one thing, divorcing your daughter’s father is another.

It’s a tough needle to thread, but, luckily, Superstore’s resident captain has some first-hand experience navigating a thimble. The sitcom’s showrunner, Justin Spitzer, worked on The Office for a number of years. Sure, there are similarities between Jonah and Amy and Jim and Pam — most notably that both couples shared a second season finale kiss — but the Superstore duo is more like the next generation of Dunder Mifflin’s lovebirds as opposed to a carbon copy. Despite the Cloud 9 twosome gingerly stumbling towards potential romance, Spitzer believes Jonah and Amy fit the classic definition of a will they/won’t they couple.

“I think it still is a will they/won’t they,” Spitzer told Variety after the Season 2 finale. “I mean, in a moment where they thought they were going to die, where Jonah if not saves Amy’s life — or at least saves her from a pretty bad injury — she grabs him and kisses him.”

As fans of The Office already know, a kiss doesn’t necessarily lead to an immediate relationship. After Jim and Pam’s memorable lip-lock in the Season 2 finale, Jim ended up transferring to the Stamford branch before eventually asking Pam out on a date during the Season 3 finale. But Dunder Mifflin and Cloud 9 are two different places. Spitzer noted in the Variety interview that he doesn’t want to follow the Office template too much and explicitly stated that viewers shouldn’t expect to see a Jonah and Amy relationship when the store reopens for business later this month.

“At the end of the [Season 2 finale], [Amy] sees Adam and Emma and realizes what’s important, or what she thinks is important, and runs into their arms. So going forward, this is not Jonah and Amy are together.”

Pumping the brakes on the Superstore romance is a classic will they/won’t they machination, and I am all for it. Dev and Rachel and Gretchen and Jimmy hooked up in Episode 1 of Master of None and You’re the Worst, respectively. Comparatively, it took 31 episodes for Jonah and Amy to share an impulsive kiss. By showing narrative restraint in a culture accustomed to the instant gratification of accelerated storylines, the Amy and Jonah relationship continues to emit an anachronistic charm. In a time when TV couples are hookin’ up and breakin’ up at a breakneck pace, it’s refreshing to savor a deliberate, well-told story.

Superstore’s old-school use of the will they/won’t they trope proves you don’t have to reinvent the wheel to take viewers on an enjoyable ride.

Superstore returns for Season 3 Thursday, September 28 on NBC.

Where to stream Superstore