SPOILERS for this season of Game of Thrones.

As we saw on episode 7.3 of Game of Thrones on Sunday (“The Queen’s Justice”), Melisandre’s stay at Dragonstone had come to an end. It would be an interesting moment of two spiders, actually: Melisandre and Varys, plotting and shading each other like snipers. From what was said, I gather that we will not be seeing Mel for the rest of the season, maybe not until the end of the series, if that. Which is probably why Carise Van Houten – who plays Mel – has given what seems like an “exit interview” to Elle Mag. Just FYI: Melisandre has always been one of my favorite characters, even when she’s doing something deplorable. I love her. I love how haughty she is and how she can take another character down a peg. Anyway, here’s what Carice had to say about her time on GoT:

On the significance of Melisandre meeting Varys: “It was different for her, talking to Varys, than it was talking to Stannis or Davos. Here’s someone who, like her, has a long-term vision, who has that sarcastic sort of confidence. They both know how to get what they want in sneaky ways.”

On whether Varys will get far if he tries to escape his fate: “I think he’s not gonna make it. But that’s my personal thought. Some things, terrible things, have to happen in these last seasons! It’ll probably be one of those where he’ll try run from it, but he’ll get it in the end.”

On her character not being afraid to die: “I have a feeling that she’s tired. She’s old, man. She knows what this world is about. That’s what makes her powerful, but also more vulnerable in the end. But I think she’s afraid of dying before seeing for herself that everything ends all right. Even if it means she has to sacrifice herself. That’s my other theory.”

On taking Melisandre’s prophesies seriously: “Well, her eyesight isn’t great. At this point, I feel like it’s not about her anymore. She’s made huge mistakes and is aware of it. She refers to how ‘prophecies are dangerous things,’ so she’s learned from her mistakes. She’s more careful. And she’s regained a little bit of her faith after bringing Jon Snow back form the dead.”

On how she won fans’ favor after resurrecting Jon Snow in season six: “Suddenly, I was a hero! All of a sudden it was ‘Melisandre for President!’ Before it was just, ‘Die, bitch, die!'”

On her favorite scene from the show being the gut-wrenching (and controversial) moment in season five, when Melisandre convinces Stannis to light his young daughter aflame at pyre in order to elicit favor from the Lord of the Light: “I think that was probably my favorite scene of the whole series. I love not having any lines because—apart from the fact that I don’t have to learn them—I just love silent acting. The burning of Shireen was f–king awful, but it was also an amazing and iconic scene.”

On how she’s different from her character in real life: “Everyone expects this stern, straight-backed woman, not someone who walks in and trips over the f–king floor.”

On how the shooting schedule took a toll on her, after going back to work just six weeks after giving birth to her son with partner Guy Pierce: “I was crying on set. Between shooting the scenes, expressing and acting, and ‘Where is my baby?!'”

[From Elle]

I sincerely hope that wasn’t the end of Melisandre, or the last we see of her in any case. She’s a survivor in a weird, strange and difficult way. Like, I was watching Sunday’s episode and thinking, “Isn’t it weird that Davos is still around?” Isn’t it though? It’s it weird that Mel came through? Isn’t it weird that Theon is still alive?? I like that Carice brings up the idea that Mel might sacrifice herself for the greater good, and that’s something I’d like to see too – she has a lot of magic, and God knows what a smoke-baby-monster could do to the Night’s King. Or something. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Photos courtesy of Game of Thrones.