When lips locked between Jim and Pam on the second season finale of the NBC sitcom, "The Office," the will-they-or-won't-they relationship percolating within the walls of Dunder Mifflin's office exploded to the next step.

Or did it?

In the shocking scene (well, at least shocking to those diehard fans), co-workers Jim (John Krasinski) and Pam (Jenna Fischer) kissed during the company's "Casino Night" party. Pam is engaged to another man, and shouldn't be doing that, only her heart was telling her otherwise.

For two seasons, she and Jim have been playful, slightly flirtatious, but always reserved in making a connection other than teasing each other and laughing together.

In the finale, Jim - heartbroken over Pam's impending marriage - moved in for the romantic kill and kissed her in the darkness. Pam at first embraced him then pushed him away. Millions of fans were shocked. Then they melted.

Cut to black. End of the season. We'll see you next fall. The collective groan from fans was deafening.

Even Krasinski's cousin felt like she was head-bashed when she saw that scene.

"My little cousin, who's about 16, sent me an e-mail, and all it said was, 'Are you kidding me? I can't have any warning? I'm never going to be able to look at you the same way,' " the actor recounted recently to The Salt Lake Tribune.

"The cool thing is that it was somewhat intimate," he said about filming that scene. "It somehow felt like we were just doing it for ourselves. We somehow put it out of our minds that a lot of people would be watching it. And so when I finally did see it on screen, it made me nervous."

Now the show returns Thursday night on KSL Channel 5 at 7:30 p.m. for the beginning of the third season, and everyone is asking the same question: Will they or won't they?

"They're definitely star-crossed lovers, and I hope it works out," Krasinski said, not revealing much more.

Hollywood, they say, likes a good romance, and "The Office" shows that when they happen in the workplace, they can be complicated. While Jim and Pam are trying to quash any rumors of a blossoming relationship, their boss Michael (played by Steven Carell) is unabashedly trying to advertise he has one going with his boss, Jan (Melora Hardin).

"I love how they're sticking to the reality of the situation rather than what people want to see in television," Krasinski said about Jim and Pam's relationship, "Because sometimes people you love don't end up with you."

Workplace romances, like that of "The Office's" Jim (John Kraskinski) and Pam (Jenna Fischer), can be complicated and confusing. Watch Thursday to find out what happened to these "star-crossed lovers."

The third season of NBC's "The Office" premieres Thursday at 7:30 p.m. on KSL Channel 5.