By George & Josh Bate
The following is a NON-SPOILER review of all eight episodes of Margo’s Got Money Troubles
In the context of a quirky and heartwarming family dramedy, the new Apple TV series Margo’s Got Money Troubles is a rare piece of topical modern media that examines the empowerment, exposure, judgment, morality, and art associated with being an OnlyFans model.
Based on the book by Rufi Thorpe, Margo’s Got Money Troubles stars Elle Fanning as Margo Millet, a university freshman whose life is turned upside down when an affair with her English professor (Michael Angarano) leaves her pregnant. Struggling to make ends meet and navigating a tumultuous relationship with her mother and former Hooters waitress Shyanne (Michelle Pfeiffer), Margo unexpectedly reconnects with her estranged father and former wrestler Jinx (Nick Offerman) after he gets out of rehab. With wisdom from her father, Margo turns to OnlyFans to support herself, a decision that reaps enormous rewards and dire consequences.
Series creator David E. Kelley is no stranger to engineering fast-paced, vibrant television. In the past decade, Kelley has written Big Little Lies, Nine Perfect Strangers, Presumed Innocent, The Lincoln Lawyer, and Love & Death, all critically acclaimed series enlivened by impressive ensembles and gripping premises. The veteran of scripted television follows these efforts with Margo’s Got Money Troubles, an energetic and briskly paced series rich in emotion and poignant commentary on one of our culture’s most groundbreaking and divisive developments.
Margo’s Got Money Troubles unfolds in the form of eight 30-45 minute episodes. Unlike much of Kelley’s previous work, there’s no murder or extraordinary crime to instigate the plot and retain tension and yet the new Apple TV series may be his best and most compelling work to date. The show wastes no time orienting its audience to a lead character whose life is derailed from its projected course by a predatory male figure. Michael Angarano’s Mark is a kind, supportive professor to Elle Fanning’s Margo and sees in her a unique talent for writing his other students lack. At least, that’s what he tells Margo. Mark performs the part of an inclusive, respectful feminist well, but, in actuality, wants to sleep with his student, disregarding the wife and kids he already has.
Margo, finally recognized by an authority figure for the talent that she is, is enamored by Mark and blind to the warnings of her friends that her professor’s motives are far from altruistic. This becomes abundantly clear, however, when Margo becomes pregnant and Mark initially urges her to get an abortion before wiping his hands clean of the situation entirely. All of this set-up unfolds quickly and establishes a vibrant pacing and light-hearted tone for the series from the get-go. Even as the show continues to explore increasingly serious subject matter, including childcare, as its episodes progress, it does some with a certain levity that makes for such engaging viewing. Importantly, the levity is never used to poke fun at or ridicule aspects of the serious subject matter; rather, it is used to reflect the tone of real life – that high stakes and complex issues often co-exist with a sense of humor.
Things only get more difficult for Margo. Her caring, yet judgmental mother Shyanne (Pfeiffer) can be unpredictable and is consumed by a burgeoning romance with a pastor named Kenny (Greg Kinnear). Two of her three roommates move out, putting pressure on her to pay rent. Mark refuses to be involved in the baby’s life. And, if that wasn’t enough, Margo’s father re-enters the fold after a spell in rehab. In turn, Margo is juggling a hell of a lot, while series creator David E. Kelley lays down the foundation for a lively, eventful, and frenetic journey to unravel.
Throughout this journey, Academy Award nominee Elle Fanning stuns with a performance perfectly attuned to the series’ intended tone. Fanning knows exactly how to convey the palpable stress and anxiety of a woman pulled in so many different directions while retaining an appropriate lightness that never undercuts the stakes. One can laugh at how increasingly wild Margo’s situation becomes and yet never lose sight of her desperation and the unfortunate series of circumstances that led to her struggles. This is because Fanning exercises such a command of the screen, deftly oscillating between emotions and tones in the same scene while simultaneously capturing the frenzy and raw emotion of Margo’s struggles.
The series also bolsters a remarkably rich collective of supporting players that are just as enthralling as Margo. Many of the greatest shows sport amazing ensembles, populating their episodes with interesting characters to care for even at its periphery. Margo’s Got Money Troubles does exactly that, perhaps no more so than with Nick Offerman’s character. Offerman plays Jinx, Margo’s stoic and exceedingly kind-hearted father who re-enters her life after completing a stint in rehab. Jinx was once a wrestler and spent much of Margo’s upbringing on the road, leaving her care in the hands of her mother. When Offerman enters the fold, he arrives at opportune time – Margo’s just lost two roommates and doesn’t have someone to help her out with her new baby, and her father needs a place to stay and ample time on his hands.
The relationship between Margo and Jinx is actualized with so much heart by Offerman and Fanning. Offerman does exceptionally well in portraying the quiet depression of a genuinely good man filled with regrets and on the precipice of relapse. Every moment his Jinx spends with Margo’s baby warms the heart in the most beautiful of ways. As the series progresses, Offerman lends newfound dimensions to his performance, relying on silence, his eyes, and subtle facial expressions to convey incredibly powerful emotions. Offerman finds a way to forge genuine emotional connections with every character he interacts with in the show, including Margo’s roommate Susie (Thaddea Graham), who, alongside Jinx, make for such a heartwarming duo.
Michelle Pfeiffer, meanwhile, similarly impresses as Margo’s mom and Jinx’s ex-wife. Shortly into the first episode of Margo’s Got Money Troubles and one immediately buys into Pfeiffer and Fanning playing mother and daughter. The duo deliver performances that are so in sync with one another and depict a lifetime’s worth of ups and downs that occurred prior to the first episode without saying a word. Pfeiffer’s arc in the show finds her character Shyanne navigating a romance with Greg Kinnear’s Kenny, which requires her to lie that she drinks, gambles, and has a daughter who had a baby out of wedlock. Shyanne also has deep-rooted insecurities about her suitability as a mother and, in turn, grandmother, causing her to keep Margo’s baby at a physical and emotional distance. Pfeiffer triumphs in crafting a character simultaneously harboring true love for her family and plagued by her own array of insecurities.
Through the bonds between Margo, her new baby, and her parents, Margo’s Got Money Troubles overwhelmingly delivers a wholesome and heartwarming viewing experience. Every step of the way, one’s care for each and every member of the ensemble grows, to a point where they begin to feel like our actual family friends and real people we genuinely care for. That means that every win for our found family feels like an incredible victory, while every stumble feels like one we’re taking with them. It’s a testament to Kelley and the writing team’s handling of tone that the series evokes such strong emotion and proves so moving, while also remaining unwaveringly entertaining throughout its navigation of objectively serious subject matter.
Making Margo’s Got Money Troubles stand out above and beyond its humor and heart is topical messaging surrounding OnlyFans. As the episodes progress and Margo struggles to secure employment, she turns to producing adult content to pay for all the diapers, baby food, and medical appointments she needs. With the help of her lovely and trusted friend Susie, Margo begins to attract a following and, eventually, achieves monumental success.
It’s surprising that, up until this series, a piece of major filmmaking or television has not explored the impact and morality of OnlyFans with this level of depth and nuance. This is particularly shocking given how commonplace OnlyFans content has become, with the term itself becoming a fixture in our cultural lexicon. Using Rufi Thorpe’s novel as source material, Kelley takes full advantage of this dearth in OnlyFans commentary by telling a story that comments on the multitude of complexities that OnlyFans models face.
At last, Margo finds autonomy through OnlyFans, allowing her to work from home and care for her child while generating income. Unexpectedly, it also offers her a chance to tap into her latent artistic sensibilities, with the show making a particular point about sex work being a form of art. Unfortunately, not everyone sees Margo’s content on OnlyFans that way. She faces judgment from strangers, family, and friends alike. Her identity and quiet life become increasingly exposed. And she’s made to question the morality of her decision, despite the fact that she produces adult content for the most endearing and wholesome of reasons.
Never has a piece of major media commented on OnlyFans with the care, delicacy, and kindness as Margo’s Got Money Troubles. The series will likely convert even the most cynical of viewers, who harbor damning views of those willing to sell pictures and videos of themselves for money, into sympathizers through its portrayal of creating adult content as both a form of empowerment and art. While the show’s expression of the latter remains a tad underdeveloped, it nonetheless captures the nuance to a hotly debated topic with precision and empathy. The series would prove heartwarming, engaging, and funny independent of this commentary. But, by providing messaging about OnlyFans and its role in society, it transcends entertainment to become something informative and thought-provoking.
VERDICT: 8.5/10
The new Apple TV series Margo’s Got Money Troubles couches thought-provoking commentary on OnlyFans and the creation of adult content in a story rich in heartwarming and hilarious family dynamics. Based on the novel by Rufi Thorpe, David E. Kelley’s show propels forward from an enthralling set-up with brisk pacing and a light tone that never loses sight of the dramatic weight of its themes and subject matter. Elle Fanning deftly operates within this delicate tonal balancing, crafting an exceedingly likable protagonist and ensuring her character’s vibrancy doesn’t undercut her struggles. Superb supporting performances from Nick Offerman, Michelle Pfeiffer, and Thaddea Graham fill out an incredible ensemble populated with interesting and complex characters that give the series so much wit and heart. The show further triumphs in its timely exploration of the OnlyFans industry and converges on a note that highlights the empowerment and art of sex work. Margo’s Got Money Troubles may not break new ground in terms of family dramedies, but it is undeniably successful at coupling interesting commentary and genuine emotion with pure entertainment value.