On the latest episode of The CW series Roswell, New Mexico, Maria (Heather Hemmens) survived a dangerously scary experience that drew her even closer to the people she cares most deeply for. And as she continues to seek answers about her mother’s disappearance, we’ll also be learning more about her own abilities, as that begins to play a bigger role in the season.

During this 1-on-1 phone interview with Collider, actress Heather Hemmens chatted about all the major spoilers in the episode and talked about how she found out that her character would be initiating a threesome, why she thought it worked for the character, how it will affect things between the three of them, how much fun she had taking a bit of a horror movie turn, and why she’s so excited about the season finale.

Collider: A lot happened in this episode. It’s certainly a memorable episode, and it’s one that will be talked about, for a few reasons. How did you find out that your character would be initiating a threesome, and what was your reaction to that?

HEATHER HEMMENS: When I first heard it, I’ll admit, I was like, “This is a big step, and not one that should be taken lightly.” So, I called (showrunner) Carina [MacKenzie], and I just wanted to confirm that that’s where the story was going, and talk to her about it. We had a great conversation, and I decided to read it before I had further questions or opinions about it. So, I got the script and when I read it, as an audience member reading it, I screamed out loud. I was like, “This is brilliant. This is everything that you want to see, as a fan of this show. It’s shocking, it’s sexy, it’s polarizing, and all the fun stuff that TV should be made of.” As the character, I had some work to do, to get into her head space of why that’s something she initiates with her best friend and her kind of boyfriend. It’s a very interesting dynamic, but I think it was so beautifully written. It’s actually such a sweet and intimate moment that, once I approached it from that emotional co-dependency that they have, after almost being killed together, it was much easier to understand her approach to the situation. And by the time that we were on set filming it, it felt like the most natural thing for my character to do, at the time.

Did it also become important to you that she was the one that initiated it and made that decision, herself?

HEMMENS: I think that’s the only reason it worked for me, as the actor. Something like that, people are gonna have such strong opinions about it and there’s gonna be a lot of debate, and I liked that Maria could control that narrative. She clearly was the one making the decisions, and I can stand behind that, in my creative space. So, for me, that was important. I could see it playing out other ways, but I think that the way that it was written made the most sense, to all of us.

The next morning, Maria has a moment of vulnerability, where she seems to think that Michael is just going to leave with Alex, and he reassures her that he’s staying with her. Where will their relationship go, from there? How will this affect things between both of them, and as a trio?

HEMMENS: I think subconsciously Maria also initiated the threesome as a way to say, “Look, I love you both. Whatever decision you make, or I make, is okay because we will all love each other, no matter what.” So, it was also her way of speeding along a decision between the three of them. It was like, “Okay, let’s just go the distance with this, and then see where we end up.” And then, the next morning, she’s like, “Okay, well, where are we now? Where did we end up?” I think that’s a very natural thing that happens, after being intimate with anybody. The next morning, you’re like, “Okay, what does this mean for our relationship?” And I really am proud of the way that the three of them navigate that layer, in the season, and don’t really let it throw them too far off track with what their own personal motives are.

This episode also took a bit of a horror movie turn, with you running and screaming through a cornfield while being chased by a crazy guy with an axe. What was that like to shoot?

HEMMENS: This episode was everything. This is my favorite episode that we have done, so far. It had everything in it. It had the horror, the threesome, and all of these really fun, jaw-dropping moments. And so, for me, getting to shoot a mini horror film, in the middle of an episode, was awesome. That cornfield was one of the funnest times that I’ve ever had on set. Maybe I need to go and do a horror film because I liked it too much. I just loved running and screaming. It was like 30 degrees out, by the way. It was freezing. We just had way too much fun. I got very sick, after that episode, though.

At the same time, are you ready to never hear the song “I Think We’re Alone Now” ever again?

HEMMENS: I love it. No, I still love it. And I love that version of it. I could just go on and on about Carina’s music selection. It’s really good. And that choice of song was very, very eerie. The whole episode is such a mood.

This is clearly going to be a hard episode to top, but do you have another episode this season that you’re really looking forward to?

HEMMENS: The finale is so good. Of course, being a finale, it is a culmination of all the things. This season has a lot of twists and turns, and the finale is almost like a two-parter thing. It really wraps it up tightly wound, and then sets up for Season 3, which we’re already very lucky to have, so we know that we can continue that story. So, I would say that the finale is my favorite, and Maria gets to really have her shining moments in that, too. So, everyone should stay tuned, all the way until the end.

Roswell, New Mexico airs on Monday nights on The CW.