In ‘Margo’s Got Money Troubles,’ the titular young woman goes from having a whirlwind affair with her English Lit college professor to becoming a single mother and dropping out. Yet, baby Bodhi’s arrival becomes one of the best things to happen to Margo, even as it drives her toward dabbling in an unconventional career. In order to support herself and her baby, the young woman starts an OnlyFans account, which quickly becomes a viable source of reliable income for her.
However, once her identity is leaked online, it also attracts the unfortunate attention of Mark Gable, the father of her child, who unexpectedly files for Bodhi’s custody. Thus, Margo and her family are thrust into an expensive and emotionally taxing legal battle. By episode 8, titled ‘Lock and Load,’ this custody battle brings the Millet clan to a courtroom and in front of a judge. SPOILERS AHEAD!
Margo Passes Her Psche Eval
Following the CPS inspection at Margo’s house, Linda, aka Lace, her attorney, realizes that Mark is looking for a lethal fight in the custody battle. This means the Millet family has to hedge their bets on the second mediation meeting going well if they want to put this thing to bed. This means Shyanne has a tough job ahead of her: apologizing to Elizabeth, Mark’s mother, whose jaw she broke at the last mediation meeting. Meanwhile, Margo has to prepare for the psych evaluation meeting and ensure that she presents her most perfect self to the psychiatrist. As for Jinx, his only job is to stay as far away from the whole thing as possible to ensure that his muddled past cannot be used against his daughter and her future.
On the day of, Margo and Susie turn themselves into the ideal, most decent, and palatable versions of themselves. From sensible sweaters and blazers to timely offers of tea, the roommates do everything they can to make sure the evaluation goes well. On the other hand, Shyanne also plays her role, albeit with some trouble. Elizabeth, whose jaw is currently wired shut, takes great pleasure in having this upper hand. She delivers some backhanded empathy, insinuating that Shyanne’s rage is understandable given how disappointed she must be in her child. Still, the latter refuses to take the bait and ends the interaction on a civil note. Lastly, Jinx tries to make some amends by paying Susie a visit and apologizing to her for everything that has transpired in the last few days.
Margo Attacks Mark During Their Second Mediation Meeting
Initially, Margo and Lace walk into the mediation meeting with relative confidence. After all, the young mother had handled the last meeting without any complications despite Mark and his attorney’s underhanded ways. Furthermore, she has now passed the psych eval requested by the professor. Since he had made the custody claim on the basis of his belief that Margo was an unfit mother, the evaluation should lay his concerns to rest. However, this isn’t what happens. Mark insists that even without being psychologically or physically unfit as a parent, Bodhi’s mother poses a social and moral threat to his upbringing.
Mark attacks Margo’s character even beyond her sex work avenues. He claims that her participation in their affair, all the while being knowledgeable about his wife and children, makes her cruel. All the while, he claims that his own involvement in the affair proves he was stupid and wrong, since he at least had something to risk. He doesn’t stop there and goes on to demand 50-50 custody and asks for Margo and Bodhi’s interactions to be supervised for the first two years of this custody deal. This becomes a tipping point for Margo, who finally lashes out after being demeaned, insulted, and prodded through it all. As such, she lunges across the table and finally attacks Mark. In the end, the case has to be taken to court.
Margo’s Got Money Troubles Ending: Does Margo Win the Child Custody Battle?
As Margo and her family go into the courtroom, they remain relatively nervous about their chances of winning the legal battle against Mark. The facts of the case put the young mother in an unflattering light, especially in front of the wrong kind of judge. She’s a sex worker whose father is a drug addict with a recent relapse. Both of her parents have recently engaged in violent behavior against the Gable family, albeit for understandable reasons. To make matters worse, the judge chosen for the case also seems to be tailored to be against Margo’s favor. It’s well known that he was engaged in a custody battle of his own, which he ultimately lost. Therefore, it wouldn’t be a surprise if he chooses to take his frustration out on one of the involved parties.
However, the actual court hearing ends up surprising Margo and the others. Lace asks for the entire clan, including Susie, to be present for the trial. On the other hand, Mark subpoenas KC and Rose, the other OnlyFans models with whom the mother professionally works. Initially, the judge, Andrew Spence, is only interested in the parents. He holds Mark responsible for impregnating a student and then harassing her for child custody. Yet, when he tries to use Margo’s sex work against her, she stands her ground. Nothing she does is illegal, and sis olely in service of giving her son a good life. Afterward, the judge evaluates the other members of the Millet clan as well before finally asking for baby Bodhi to be brought in.
Spence’s method for garnering the family’s ability to look after Bodhi remains simple. He wants each member to hold the baby to strengthen his relationship with the individual. Things go smoothly, and even Shyanne manages to pass the test. After struggling to hold the baby without making him cry for months, the grandmother finally figures out the trick in a satisfying conclusion. Mark, who holds Bodhi for the first time ever in the courtroom, is a different case. Thus, Spence makes his judgment. Margo gets to keep full custody of Bodhi. However, he also grants the fact that Mark deserves to be in his son’s life and allows him to have the kid bi-weekly every month. Ultimately, Margo wins the case and buries the hatchet with Mark, happy to have her son grow up with his father in his life.
Who Called CPS on Margo?
Throughout the custody battle, things get ugly between Margo and Mark on multiple occasions. Yet, the worst thing that the latter does to the single mother is call the Child Protective Services on her. In the moment, it seems like an underhanded tactic, in light of Jinx’s relapse and near-death experience. However, after the court case, Mark makes a startling revelation: he never actually called the CPS on Margo. Despite everything he has done, he would have never put Margo and his ability to be with her son in such immediate danger.
After Mark’s revelation, the Millets are forced to wonder who exactly could have done such a thing. The answer comes easily enough in the form of Kenny’s sheepish confession. As it turns out, Shyanne’s new husband, a devoutly religious man, had decided to take matters into his own hands after Jinx’s relapse. He recognized that the situation posed a very real threat to Bodhi. Similarly, he was also aware that Shyanne would never want to go through with a CPS call since she’s too protective of both Margo and Jinx. For the same reason, he made the call with the sole purpose of ensuring that the baby is in safe conditions. Naturally, Shyanne remains beyond angry with her husband for interfering in her family matters in such a way. Thus, this instance promises to influence Kenny’s relationship with the rest of the family.
Who is JB?
As the season comes to an end, some sense of normalcy returns to Margo’s life. This also means she can put her focus back into expanding her career as an OnlyFans artist. Recently, she has made the pivotal decision to monetize on full frontal nudity, including the body parts she has been covering up so far. Initially, she had wondered if she wanted to put those kinds of images of herself on the internet. However, after getting over some internalized narratives about sex work and female body image, she decides to cross that proverbial line. Additionally, it certainly helps that the added financial boost from it would secure Margo’s future by taking care of household needs, healthcare, and even the legal fees from the previous custody battle.
As Margo is getting ready for the photoshoot to share these images, she receives a string of tips from a user named JB. The unusual climactic focus on this user might attract the curiosity of some viewers. As it turns out, this is an easter egg for something that might be coming Margo’s way in the future. In the eponymous book that inspired the series, JB is a character who plays a vital role in the protagonist’s life. He’s one of Margo’s clients on OnlyFans, who eventually goes on to become her central love interest. Therefore, it’s highly possible that the user seen at the end of season 1 is the same JB, who might become a part of the show in the future.
Read More: Where Was Margo’s Got Money Troubles Filmed?
