Though The 100‘s Octavia will probably always remain a fan favorite, Marie Avgeropoulos knows that her character’s latest turn has stirred up “a lot of backlash” from viewers this season.

“I was given a heads-up from [showrunner] Jason Rothenberg that this was going to be a challenging season for me as an actress, and he was definitely right about that,” Avgeropoulos tells TVLine. “But it’s also been very rewarding. Octavia always changing. She’s not a hero, she’s not a villain — she’s a wild card.”

Avgeropoulos says it’s important to remember that Octavia’s evolution into the Red Queen “wasn’t instantaneous. It was a slow burn that took place over six challenging, painful years.”

“Towards the end of the season, there’s one of my favorites episodes called ‘The Dark Years’ which gives Octavia some emotional redemption,” she teases. “I’m excited for fans to see what happened in those six years during the time jump. They’ll find out more of who Bloodraina really is and how she became that way. It wasn’t easy for her. She lost her innocence and a part of herself.”

Here’s hoping that redemption arc also helps the Blake siblings find peace. Avgeropoulos correctly notes that “Octavia and Bellamy have become incredibly different people. It also doesn’t help that Octavia is starting to see him as an obstacle in her overall game plan — a potential enemy of Wonkru.”

Speaking of Octavia’s enemies, we can also look forward to her impending confrontation with Echo when the two formally reunite tonight (The CW, 9/8c). “I’m pretty sure Echo — the woman who stabbed her and pushed her off a cliff — is the last person on Earth that Octavia would want to have as a sister-in-law,” she says.

Your thoughts on Octavia’s new persona? Drop ’em in a comment below.