During the panel for The 100 at Comic-Con this summer, fans were thrilled to hear that Lexa (Alycia Debnam-Carey) would be returning in Season 3 of the CW's sci-fi drama. Introduced during Season 2, the character quickly amassed a passionate following, with viewers invested both in the fierce Grounder Commander and the possible romance between Lexa and Clarke (Eliza Taylor).

Alycia Debnam-Carey as Lexa in The 100.

Eliza Taylor as Clarke and Alycia Debnam-Carey as Lexa in The 100.

I sat down with Debnam-Carey at the TCA (Television Critics Association) press tour today, to discuss her new series, AMC’s big Walking Dead spinoff/prequel, Fear the Walking Dead. I’ll have more on what the actress told me about that show and her role in it in the weeks to come (Fear debuts August 23rd), but we also spoke about her upcoming return to The 100.Below, you’ll see what Debnam-Carey had to say about Lexa’s return, her thoughts on Lexa’s controversial choice to betray Clarke to save her own people and more – including what it’s like finding herself in two post-apocalyptic series at the same time.No, no! I’ve only just read the first… the second episode. They keep it so under wraps. I barely even know when I’m flying up to start filming. Obviously things are not looking too great for Lexa on Clarke’s side. She’s a little angry. But Lexa loves Clarke, that’s pretty clear.She’s very pragmatic. That’s what Lexa is. She’s a pragmatist. I don’t think she’s cold-hearted. It’s just she’s realistic and she’s been taught to be that way. It’s a very harsh world she comes from and she’s had to grow up with a lot of -- that culture is so gritty and violent and raw and so she just has to go along with that. But I think she feels greatly but it’s like to do the best job you can to protect people, you shut off or you try to make it so people can’t see your feelings.I think that Clarke can see Lexa’s position, in a way. If Clarke was in Lexa’s position, I don’t know that she… She might do the same thing. Yes, she’s an optimist. She’s always trying to find the best solution, but… There’s a great article MTV did about how The 100 is so [much darker] than Game of Thrones or something and I loved it because there were some really great points. Clarke, she’s done some difficult things and made some hard choices. When you survive, you sink or swim. You just have to make that choice. Who comes first? You have to make a choice at the end of the day. That’s also what’s interesting about [Fear the Walking Dead] is what people do to survive. Who you can save and who you’re willing to save.A bad and a worse choice.

Continue to Page 2 as Debnam-Carey discusses fan reaction to Lexa, her hopes for Lexa in Season 3 and the appeal of post-apocalyptic stories like The 100 and Fear the Walking Dead.