Season 1 of Apple TV’s new comedy drama, Margo’s Got Money Troubles, just concluded with episode 8, “Lock and Load,” and finally revealed the outcome of the heated custody battle between Margo (Elle Fanning) and Mark (Michael Angarano).
Season 1 episode 7 had concluded in a very dark place for Margo. Mark, the father of her son Bodhi, had brought a lawsuit against her, suing her for full custody due to claims that she was an unfit mother. In part, Mark was making those allegations because Margo’s previously anonymous Only Fans account had been traced back to her; he claimed that this line of work meant Bodhi consistently being put in unsafe, inappropriate situations.
Making matters worse was the fact that Margo’s father, Jinx (Nick Offerman), had intentionally crushed Mark’s hand when meeting him because he was furious that he’d gotten Margo pregnant—at the time, Mark had been her teacher—and then abandoned her and the baby. With that incident, Mark was able to double down on the claims that Margo’s home was unsafe.
Unfortunately, Margo’s situation went from bad to worse, as Jinx relapsed in episode 7 and nearly died of a heroin overdose, and her mother, Shyanne (Michelle Pfeiffer), had punched Mark’s mother, Elizabeth (Marcia Gay Harden) in the face. Although they’re actually a charming family most of the time, they legitimately could not keep their hands to themselves this season.
Episode 7 then ended with CPS arriving at Margo’s house to inspect the home and observe her with Bodhi, which also meant a drug screening for all adults in the home, including, unfortunately, Jinx.
Episode 8 Jumps Right Into the Action
Thankfully, episode 8 wasted no time revealing what had transpired as a result of the CPS investigation. Jinx, as was expected, had tested positive for drug usage, which was a factor in the case, but it was not immediately cause for Margo to lose Bodhi. In fact, during a meeting with Mark, Margo and their respective lawyers, Margo learned that she had been found entirely fit to maintain physical custody.
While Mark was then offered the opportunity to rescind his claims and his case, he refused, which meant the two of them going to full-fledged court rather than mediation (but not before Margo lunged across the table at him—seriously, this family cannot stop attacking people). Worse still, the judge assigned to Margo’s case allegedly had a chip on his shoulder when it came to custody cases, as he just went through his own custody battle and lost.
The odds therefore seemed very much stacked against Margo and her family, which understandably had Margo in shambles going into her court appearance.
The Outcome of the Custody Battle Is Revealed
The court sequence of episode 8 is unexpected and intense. Rather than calling people to the stand, as is typically seen in court cases, the judge goes to each member of the family, beginning with Mark and then moving onto Margo, her parents and several others in the room, and asks a series of rapid-fire, often accusatory questions connected to their relationships with Bodhi and fitness to be in his life.
When he begins with Mark, the judge all but charges at him, yelling, “You, sir, on your feet,” which certainly set the tone for the series of questions he was about to ask. He began by acknowledging that Mark had impregnated a student and then asked who was at fault for all that had transpired. After telling Mark the case had a “stink” that started with him, the judge turned to Margo.
The judge asks Margo if she is proud of herself and then asks whether she thinks Mark is unfit or dangerous, to which Margo responds, “I deem him to be a stranger.” Margo’s family members respond in kind, with Jinx taking accountability for his substance use as well as his attack on Mark and Shyanne likewise acknowledging her attack on Elizabeth.
After this grilling, the judge has Bodhi brought in, and he asks that the baby be passed around to Margo, Jinx, Shyanne and then Mark. Bodhi is perfectly happy to be held by the first three (including Shyanne, who he didn’t have a very strong relationship with before), but as soon as Margo hands Bodhi over to Mark, the baby begins to cry.
Mark then makes a comment about seeing Margo holding Bodhi and realizing that his “poor judgment has bestowed an incredible windfall” on them all—a weirdly wordy way to take credit for Bodhi—and Margo responds with a tearful and impassioned declaration that she is Bodhi’s mother.
Then, just as swiftly as he entered, the judge says, “This child should know his father. Primary custody goes to the mother; he gets the child two weekends a month,” and leaves.
Although that’s not the full custody that Margo had prior to the lawsuit, it is a definitive win, which is precisely what her lawyer, Lace (Nicole Kidman), tells her. Mark and Margo even share a nice moment after this ruling has been given, in which Mark tells Margo that he’s “actually a really good father,” and Margo says, “That’s good, because I really do want you to get to know him.”
Season 1 Ends With a Shocking (And Infuriating) Plot Twist
Margo’s court case goes just about as well as it could have gone, especially considering Lace told Margo early on that California is not a state that tends to give one parent sole physical custody. However, the show does take one rather dark turn before the episode’s conclusion. Everyone had long suspected that it had been Mark who called CPS on Margo to get a leg up in the custody case.
Shockingly, Shyanne’s new husband, Kenny (Greg Kinnear), reveals that it had actually been him who called. This was, of course, a complete betrayal, but it unfortunately isn’t a very difficult one to imagine. While Kenny had expressed his support over the last few episodes, he had also made a range of odd, at times outright offensive comments. Calling CPS on Margo “just as a precaution” is therefore, frustratingly, not actually out of character.
He also goes on to explain that it really had very little to do with Margo and more to do with Jinx, whom he says Shyanne loves, which makes things so much worse. Now, it remains to be seen what will be done about that betrayal, as Shyanne is absolutely furious—as she should be.
What’s Next for Margo?
Season 2 of Margo’s Got Money Troubles is already confirmed to be in the works, and although story details remain under wraps for now, the season 1 finale left plenty to be explored. Most obviously, this issue with Kenny calling CPS will certainly have to be dealt with, and while Shyanne has made some questionable decisions throughout the show, it seems like there is no possible outcome other than a divorce. That may take more time than viewers are hoping for, though.
In addition to that, audiences will no doubt get to see how well (or poorly) Mark and Margo manage to coparent with one another. Of course, with such a complex ensemble cast, there are also a host of other stories to be explored, from Jinx’s recovery to the future of Margo’s career and so much more.