Apple’s “Margo’s Got Money Troubles” concludes its first season with Michelle Pfeiffer delivering what reviewers describe as an outstanding performance. According to a review on Omnivorous, Pfeiffer plays Shyanne, Margo’s mother, and “really outdoes herself in the second half” of the season.
The character of Shyanne is portrayed as a woman who has struggled to find happiness and will fight to protect it. A central moment in the second half involves a “wrenching and at times difficult to watch” argument between Shyanne and her daughter Margo—played by Elle Fanning—over Margo’s decision to become a sex worker. The review credits both Fanning and Pfeiffer with bringing “emotional authenticity” to this scene.
According to the review, Pfeiffer’s strength as a performer lies in her ability to “excavate so many hidden depths” to Shyanne’s character. Despite disagreeing with her daughter’s life choices, Shyanne ultimately supports Margo when it matters. In one notable scene, Shyanne punches Mark’s mother, Elizabeth Gable, played by Marcia Gay Harden, after Elizabeth says something negative about Margo. The review describes Pfeiffer and Harden’s scenes together as “terrific,” calling it “sublime to see two such formidable actresses striking sparks off each other.”
The broader series centers on Margo, whose viral status as an OnlyFans model creates complications when Mark and his mother scheme to have Bodhi, Margo’s child, taken away. A custody battle ensues, with no character emerging unscathed. By the season’s end, Margo retains primary custody of Bodhi and prepares for the next stage of her OnlyFans career.
The show also features performances from Nick Offerman as Jinx, Michael Angarano as Mark, and Greg Kinnear as Kenny. According to the review, the series addresses substantive issues including drug addiction and the perils of viral internet fame, particularly for sex workers. The review notes that the show avoids oversimplified solutions to its characters’ problems, instead presenting a “truly delightful, if sometimes slightly uncomfortable” watch.
A second season has already been greenlit for the series.
Key facts
- Michelle Pfeiffer plays Shyanne in Apple’s ‘Margo’s Got Money Troubles’
- The review credits Pfeiffer with excavating hidden depths in her character, particularly in the second half of the season
- A central scene involves an argument between Shyanne and her daughter Margo over Margo’s work as an OnlyFans model, which the review describes as wrenching and emotionally authentic
- Pfeiffer’s character ultimately supports her daughter despite disagreeing with her life choices, including punching Mark’s mother to defend Margo
- A second season has been greenlit