Mercedes Mason On Fear The Walking Dead’s Big Ofelia Twist

Spoilers for Fear the Walking Dead‘s midseason 3 finale follow! The two-hour episode aired Sunday night on AMC.

The question of “Where is Ofelia?” has finally been answered. To the surprise of many Fear the Walking Dead fans, and certainly its characters, the return didn’t come with the realignment beside the Clark family. Instead, Ofelia has been loyal to Walker and his Native American tribe, so much that she was willing to drug the soldiers of Broke Jaw Ranch.

There are two sides to every story, of course, and according to Ofelia Salazar actress Mercedes Mason, the character had more than enough reasoning for her actions.

“So, Jeremiah was the one who left Ofelia in the desert to die and there’s bit that they cut out, that I’m actually pretty upset with them for cutting out,” Mason said. “There’s a bit where Ofelia asks him for a ride and Jeremiah says, ‘No. I don’t think your kind would be accepted.’ And she goes, ‘What do you mean, my kind?’ And he goes, ‘Brown people.’ And he continues on to say, ‘All I would be able to use you for is a comfort girl.’ That’s why she spit at his foot. I don’t know why they cut that because that really shows what kind of person Jeremiah Otto is. He’s definitely not the one probably grandpa type. To see Nick and the Clark’s having aligned themselves with these people that, not only does Ofelia hate, but so does Qualateqa.”

However, in the wake of each sides’ actions, Mason thinks the groups can overlook her actions and find peace together in the future.

“I think there’s always reconciliation possibly because again, everything changes so quickly in the apocalypse,” Mason said. “She thought it was sleeping pills so she tried to put sleeping pills in the coffee. It turned out to be anthrax. If you try to save each other, things change. That’s the thing. It’s all about survival. At the end of the day, you only trust whoever you can rely on at the moment. Right now, at this moment, Ofelia and Nick have realized they can’t rely on each other. They can’t talk to each other but could that change in the future? Absolutely.”

Part of the reconciliation has already begun. Madison’s choice to have Jeremiah dead, one way or another, is a sign effort to obtain peace with Walker. She is aware of Jeremiah Otto’s cruel and selfish actions and intentions, which might help Ofelia come around to the Clark family residing at the Ranch. “That’s the thing, right? Qualetaqa’s obviously going to tell Ofelia,” Mason said. “That’s going to get passed on so she’ll see [the Clark family] in a different light again that maybe they weren’t aligning themselves with the Ottos, but they were doing the same thing she was doing and just trying to survive by finding the strongest and biggest.”

MORE WALKING DEAD: TWD Season 8 Trailer Details Revealed / Everyone Loves FTWD Now / Steven Yeun Up To Return As Glenn Rhee / Ross Marquand Promises A Massive TWD Season 8 / Negan’s Complete Backstory Coming In October

Be sure to give Fear the Walking Dead a rating on our TV show rankings below! Can you help it reach #1?

Fear the Walking Dead airs Sundays at 9 pm ET on AMC. The Walking Dead will return for its eighth season in October with a trailer coming in July at San Diego Comic Con. For complete coverage and insider info all season long, follow @BrandonDavisBD on Twitter.