This interview contains spoilers for Fear the Walking Dead Season 7, Episode 13, “The Raft,” which aired Sunday, May 15 on AMC.
It’s tough being a woman in the apocalypse. Fear the Walking Dead has never shied away from showing this reality, from Madison Clark’s flawed road to leadership to Grace’s traumatic stillbirth. In Season 7, Episode 13, “The Raft,” Fear the Walking Dead puts Sherry in the spotlight as she grapples with the idea of being a mother in the radioactive, zombified apocalypse.
“The Raft” continues where the previous episode left off, with Morgan continuing his fight to take the Tower from the dictatorial Strand. The characters put on display as Fear the Walking Dead continues its anthology format are Sherry and Dwight, who are confronted with a surprise that will change their future forever. Christine Evangelista, who portrays Sherry, spoke with CBR about Sherry’s pregnancy reveal this episode and the complicated relationship between her and Austin Amelio’s Dwight. She also discussed which Walking Dead character she’d like to see on Fear the Walking Dead, the duality of Sherry’s moral code, and using femininity as a strength in the apocalypse.
CBR: We have to discuss the big reveal of this episode, which is that Sherry is pregnant. Was this something that came as a shock to you, or were you expecting this for your character?
Christine Evangelista: It was a shock, for sure, because it just adds another layer of complexity. As a woman navigating this world, pregnancy is really heavy. It was such a beautiful moment in that scene in the tunnel where they find out together, and then having that surge of strength to get out of there and to really work hard to create a better life [and] bring this child into the world.
I had been thinking about it for Sherry since the end of the last season, when — if you remember — she was walking through this house and seeing pictures of a family that did it. You know, it’s not impossible. It seems that way, but it’s really not. Again, I go back to that feeling. As a woman, I think it’s a really relatable feeling to be scared, confused, not knowing, not having a plan, but having the instinctive force to want to do it anyway, knowing how meaningful it would be to her and to both Sherry and Dwight. So that was it. I mean, it was definitely one of my favorite scenes to film because of the relatability elements of it.
You were talking about how there’s this scary element to it because you’re a woman, and you’re growing a baby in a very dangerous setting. Is there still a part of Sherry in the back of her mind thinking, “Oh, this is terrifying. I don’t know if I can do this.”
I think it’s always, for sure, and that goes back to the relatability. So many women feel that way. Of course, in the back of Sherry’s mind, whatever happens, she has to think that way in order to survive. They all think that way, which is why they’ve been able to survive for so long.
Even in the beginning of the episode, when she makes that raft to have this escape route for Dwight, she is so scared of how Dwight would react when he finds out that she’s pregnant. I think that will always be there in the back of her mind. I think the relationship that they have really needs to be rooted in having so much of that vulnerability and trust with each other that they are continuously working on. There’s always that thought in the back of her mind.
I really have to commend you and Austin [Amelio] on this episode, and any episode, for that matter, where you’re both acting together. You guys really show that this is not a perfect relationship. It’s very realistic. It’s not rainbows and butterflies for them. What’s it like to work with Austin to perform such a complex relationship?
One of my favorite parts of their relationship is that, again, [there are] so many relatable elements. Relationships are challenging. They’re difficult. You have to work on trust. We have been working, being open and honest, and there are problems throughout that. They’re the only couple on the whole show that were together before the apocalypse, before this all happened. I think having that reference point, having that relationship, is the reason that they’ve always been able to come back to each other. They remind each other so much of the life before all of this even happened, and they know each other. So all of that is rooted in just so much of a real preexisting relationship. So they have that level of comfort with each other. That level of just total openness.
I think working with Austin has been fantastic because we’ve been able to do that, too. The both of us started on the show The Walking Dead however many — seven — years ago, and we’ve been able to have this sort of journey together throughout it and have all these experiences with working on both shows and all the complexities that [are] brought to us. So we kind of have that really cool friendship that we’ve seen each other grow up over the years. We have this commonality starting on the show together, which is great, but also, he’s such a great actor, and I love hanging out with him.
Dwight and Sherry, they have this special code that’s kind of different from everybody else’s. Everybody’s just trying to do the right thing when it comes down to it, but Dwight and Sherry are really rooting to uphold it. How will this code be instrumental in the fight going forward?
That episode ends with Sherry looking at Dwight saying, now that they know that she’s pregnant, “Now we have something to fight for.” It’s that continued sense of the code that’s rooted in morality and not wanting to let the bad guys win. Bringing a child into this world only adds to wanting to make a better life and creating a better environment that’s safe, where they don’t need to feel like they’re obliged or in a position like they were back at the Sanctuary. I think, if anything, it’s a catalyst. This pregnancy is a catalyst for them to continue on that path. It’s a massively powerful driving force for them.
Do you think there could be anything that can push them to abandon that code forever?
Listen, I mean, a parent’s love is really strong, right? When they’re faced with that, it could very easily turn in a different way. You do anything to help fight for your child and keep your child alive, of course. I think they’re always faced with these forks in the road, and which way do you want to go? I think that’s part of Sherry’s whole fear in the beginning, like what is Dwight going to do? How is he going to react? Is he going to do what he did before? I think that’s always something that’s in the back of their mind.
Just focusing on Sherry, she’s such a dynamic character. She has so much heart, but she also has a lot of grit to her, which we saw when she was handling Wes this episode. What does it mean to you to play somebody who’s so complex, somebody who has a lot of duality to her?
I love that word, duality. I use it all the time because I think it’s this beautiful thing to have both strength and vulnerability to each other. Being able to play both of those things really creates that dynamic, that ability to survive in this world and maintain her sense of femininity within that [along with] empathy and all of these beautiful qualities that make women so special. I love the physicality of the show and being able to really show that inner strength and that toughness. God, it turns me on so much, and it’s just so exciting to have an opportunity like that as a female actress.
She has so many layers to her as a woman. Often when female characters are faced with the pregnancy storyline, or they become a mother, they’re kind of dwindled down to just that. Going forward with [Sherry’s pregnancy], do you hope she uses motherhood to her advantage, to where it doesn’t make her a one-dimensional character? Obviously, you’d want so much more for her.
Yeah, I could tell you that what we have in store is all of that. It’s such a complicated reality that they’re living in, but, I mean, even seeing in the end of this episode, Sherry doesn’t get on the raft. She gives it to Lennie [James] (Morgan Jones), and she’s like, “No, we’re going to do this. I have something to fight for now.” It’s that continued strength that she’s constantly exhibiting. She’s constantly going in that direction, and I think having the chance to play that is so awesome.
You were talking about the obvious parallels between the Tower and the Sanctuary, Negan and Strand. We all know how the fight with the Saviors ended — Negan was spared, and he’s still on the main series to this day. If this fight ends the same way with Strand being spared, how do you think Sherry would react to that?
I think in the same way that she did with Negan. You have to go through the process, you have to grieve these relationships and just keep on the path that you’re on because that’s the only way that they’re going to survive. As Sherry knows, and we’ve seen throughout all last season, seeking revenge doesn’t do anything. It doesn’t do anything good. It just only destroys you and destroys your personal relationships. So it’s just maintaining composure, keeping the path that you’re on, and having that strength. That’s the only way to survive it. I think that’s the only way to live in this world. If you tried to take everybody down who did something bad, I mean, you would just be running around in circles.
We also see this episode that Alicia gives Sherry her iconic weapon that’s been missing. Does that mean anything for Sherry to have Alicia’s weapon now, or is it just this little, “Here you go. You can have this now”?
It is such a powerful tool for so many reasons. It’s almost like this torch that’s being passed between these two women. I think Sherry has a lot of empathy for Alicia because of Alicia’s relationship with Strand. She knows how hard it is for Alicia to do what she’s doing because the two of them have so much love for each other. Sherry had to do the same thing with her and Dwight.
There’s these tremendous parallels between the two characters where you’re fighting for what’s right, and you have to leave your loved one behind in the process. It’s very painful to go through, and it’s also this tool that actually gets Sherry out of the tunnel with Dwight. I just think, again, it’s just this torch. It has so much power and energy in it. It really sort of connects these two women that have been in very similar but different situations.
Will we get to see more of Sherry using that weapon, either in Season 7 or Season 8?
We’ll see, we’ll see.
We were talking about how Sherry was on The Walking Dead. She was actually the last character to transition from The Walking Dead to Fear [the Walking Dead]. Are there any characters from The Walking Dead that you’d like to see come on Fear, especially now that the main series is ending?
Obviously, I loved working with Norman [Reedus]. I think that he played such an integral part in the storyline between Sherry and Dwight, and Sherry ultimately freeing him out of the Sanctuary. It would be very interesting and cathartic for them to unite again after everything that’s happened, and it’d be great to work with him again, of course.
Finally, where would you say is Sherry’s mindset going into the rest of the season?
It’s all over the place. She’s thinking about ways to stay strong, healthy, but ultimately stay alive. She’s thinking about when, where, how to give birth, trying to take down the Tower, and finding a place of safety. There’s more going on for her than there’s ever been before because it’s not just about her anymore. It’s about this human that she’s growing inside her and what kind of life she wants to have this child grow up in. So the stakes are higher than they’ve ever been before, and I think that adds a lot of complexity but a lot of excitement too.
That’s the complexities of being a woman in an apocalypse.
Tell me about it.
To see Sherry navigate motherhood and the dangers of the apocalypse, watch new episodes of Fear the Walking Dead every Sunday at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT on AMC. New episodes are available to stream a week early on AMC+.
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