Episode Overview:  With only four ladies left - evenly split between the 40-somethings and the 20-somethings - Mark Philippoussis has to get even more serious about the next elimination. But once again, the women themselves are looking critically at the situation on Age of Love and wondering if it's right for them.  Tonight, two women - one Cougar and one Kitten - take control of the game and call their own shots.

Cougar Jayanna may have left last week, but her words are still echoing around the women's apartment. Literally. Her diatribe against Kitten Amanda is being shown to the women on video. While Amanda's tattling on Jayanna was potentially bad form, Jayanna's on-tape characterization of Amanda as “desperate,” accurate or not, seems pretty tacky in response. One would hope with age would come the knowledge that name-calling under any circumstances is just unseemly.

Cougar Jen, however, is less bothered by Jayanna's display than she is by Amanda's tattling. She is upset about it, and says in interview that Amanda “better watch out” because “what goes around comes around.”

The other Cougar remaining, Maria, and Amanda now head out for a salsa dancing group date with Mark. Mark has never salsa danced before, and Maria feels challenged by his lack of leading on the dance floor. However, she's game to try it…really game. After the women change into revealing salsa dancing outfits, she and Mark take a turn on the floor and, as Mark puts it later, Maria “goes crazy.” She is salsa dancin' up a storm around Mark, and Amanda is so scandalized she has to look away.

However, she doesn't have to for long as it's eventually her turn. She and Mark a little more reserved as a pair. Amanda's background as a dancer might have given her an initial advantage, but her shorter-than-short skirt is a major hindrance as she continues to tug it down throughout the dance. I'm not sure Mark really minds the wardrobe malfunction, as his main comments about the dance with Amanda was that it was “more sexual.”

The three sit in a booth after the dancing, and Maria, still glistening with the effort of dancing, decides this would be an appropriate moment to throw into the conversation a mood-killing downer of a thought. She says this might be their last date, so is there anything Mark wants to say to them both. Um…no, is Mark's response, and he seems aggravated that she had to bring the mood down like that. Maria, in turn, is aggravated that he can't seem to maintain a conversation.

After that evening, Kitten Megan has a chance for a one-on-one date with Mark. She is going to high tea…now if only she knew what high tea was. She is not prepared for or comfortable with the fancy formal setting, thinking it would be more appropriate for a 40-something. Mark tries to get her to open up about her feelings but she is more concerned about using the right fork and can't relax. Later she kicks herself for blowing the opportunity, but Mark seems to find her youthful innocence rather sweet.

This leaves only Jen left for one last date for this round of Age of Love. She's told to dress up and bring a swimsuit for a nighttime date. Megan is so jealous, her “stomach fell out of [her] butt.”

Jen's date starts in a Cinderella-style carriage. Mark starts off the date by saying – yet again – how Jen is the women who made him “forget about age.” Like how he forgets about it so much he brings it up every time he's alone with her. Age of Love should have a timer in the corner of the screen for Jen and Mark alone time – how many seconds elapse in real time before Mark brings her age.

One wonders how many viewers have started an Age of Love drinking game. I would think the rules might be take a shot every time Maria is inappropriately and seriously emotional; Amanda gets jealous because Mark is getting action from multiple women; Megan is…well, Megan and does something like in a limo, ask “What's a partition?” and, of course, take two shots when Mark tells Jen again how he never thinks about age when he's with her.

Of course, despite this fixation (or maybe as part of it?), Mark does feel attraction for Jen…he has certainly not minded getting frisky with her in the past, and tonight is no exception. After they change into swimsuits, the two head up to his suite for a little off-camera massage. Jen is determined, she says, “to show Mark a good time.” Indeed.

Later she happily tells the other women about their scandalous evening, and Amanda is feeling sick about it when Jen laughingly comments how if there is any footage of the night, most of it will need black bars or to be blurred.

Mark needs a little more one-on-one time with the girls before eliminations. With Jen, it's basically all smiley feel-good fallout from the previous evening.

And then…Amanda. She's upset, and tells Mark she knows all about the massaging. The smile drops off his face. How is he going to finesse this one?  He says he's going to be honest with her, and that did happen. But he's missed her and is happy to see her now.

And that's all it took! Or at least all it was edited to take. She breaks out in a big smile and all is forgiven.

Not so, though with Maria. Twice before she has threatened to eliminate herself, but this time! This time she means it! And this time…she actually does it. Mark tries to tell her he wasn't going to ask her to leave, but her decision is final.

The other women are waiting upstairs for Mark, and after an hour of Maria being gone, they realize something is up. He finally appears and tells them about Maria leaving. However, there is some good news: they are all going to Australia!

Jen and Amanda are excited, but Megan's emotions are mixed. She hates to fly and would “rather crawl.” She tries her best, getting packed, to the airport, and all the way into the tunnel to the airplane before cracking. She breaks into tears and tells Mark that she can't do it, she just can't fly. He tries to reassure her about the airline's safety record, but it's too late.

He walks her out to take a cab, and the two share their first kiss. Mark is sad that it took this crisis to get Megan to be vulnerable with him, and will miss her sunny simple ways.

But now he and the other two women will be in Australia…and next week: they meet the family.

- Leslie Seaton, BuddyTV Staff Columnist