Fear the Walking Dead Season 3, Episode 7 Spoilers: Ofelia Returns

“Fear The Walking Dead” just dropped a new preview, gearing up for its two-hour midseason finale. And it looks like the show is finally going to answer a question that has been popping up a lot this season. Namely: ‘Where is Ofelia?’ Played by Mercedes Mason, Ofelia Salazar was last seen in the Season 2 finale in the desert. But despite her status as a main character, she has been glaringly absent this season. Now it looks like the wait is finally over.

Mercedes Mason in Fear the Walking Dead (2015). Photo by Peter Iovino/AMC

Ofelia Allies With Broke Jaw Ranch?

Prior to the teaser, we last saw Ofelia in the desert on her own journey of discovery in Season 2. She had left Alicia Clark (Alycia Debnam-Carey) and the others back at the hotel. Sometime later, she encountered Jeremiah Otto (Dayton Callie), the founder of Broke Jaw Ranch. Callie described the encounter in an interview with Comic Book. Jeremiah had found Ofelia wandering the desert but he wasn’t holding her hostage. After a short conversation, he simply “left her in the desert to die, or not die.” Because of her absence in the third season, fans speculated that she had died. But the trailer reveals a different fate for Ofelia.

The trailer only shows Ofelia for a split-second but that split-second reveals a lot. She can be seen with villain Qaletqa Walker (Michael Greyeyes). A lawyer before the end of the world, Walker is the leader of a group of Native Americans trying to get their land back from Broke Jaw Ranch. Did Walker find Ofelia in the desert and offer her mercy? Or perhaps they united out of their shared hatred of Jeremiah Otto? Whatever the case, this is one alliance to look out for.

Michael Greyeyes, Mercedes Mason, Justin Rain, and Sam Underwood in Fear the Walking Dead (2015). Photo by Richard Foreman, Jr/AMC

Is Ofelia The Anticipated Female Villain of Fear The Walking Dead?

Back in October 2016, before the start of Season 3, showrunner Dave Erickson told Comic Book that the show would be adding a major female villain. He revealed that the new character would have a huge impact on key characters, including Nick Clark, Luciana Galvez and Victor Strand. She would be met south of the border. And she would become someone who “can rival any of the powerful characters” in the show. That much-anticipated female villain has yet to appear in the show. Some names have been tossed out, though: Buffy alum Emma Caulfield in a new role, and Madison Clark (Kim Dickens) in her quest to control Troy. Now with Ofelia’s connection to Walker exposed, fans can also add her name to the ring.