Shaken by Franco’s transformation into the Drew that she knew back in San Diego — and with it, his sudden affection for her — Kim impulsively asks Julian to marry her.

“Kim loves Julian and, of course, she wants to spend her life with him, but it does seem to come out of the blue,” acknowledges her portrayer, Tamara Braun. “This whole thing with Franco/Drew has rattled her more than she wants to admit and I think she feels like if she and Charlie are married, then she will be shielded somehow from the confusion going on with this bizarre situation.”

For her part, Elizabeth is in the throes of what portrayer Rebecca Herbst describes as “frustration and fear” as she tries to figure out if her marriage can be saved. Francoas-Drew’s interest in Kim “is certainly in the back of Elizabeth’s mind,” according to Co-Head Writer Chris Van Etten. “I wouldn’t say it’s her first worry — however, that may change in the days ahead.”