Margo's Got Money Troubles: A Fresh Take on Gilmore Girls Legacy
John Castro
Published May 15, 2026
By Published Apr 16, 2026, 12:30 PM EDT Liz Hersey is an Editor and Critic for ScreenRant's TV team, editing, reviewing, writing, and creating content about the iconic shows you love to watch. She began her editing career at ScreenRant in 2019, shortly after joining the site as a Writer that same year.
With a passion for all things books, Liz frequently attends Toronto literary events and conferences, and loves interacting with her book lover community. In addition to being an avid reader of the romance and thriller genres, Liz is a writer of several short stories, and is currently at work on a young adult witch novel.
When she's not working, reading, or writing, Liz can be found seeing movies at her local cinema, attending live jazz events, or curling up on the couch to binge her favorite TV shows.
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It's not easy being a Gilmore Girls fan. Sure, rewatching the series about close-knit mother-daughter duo Lorelai and Rory Gilmore is incredibly fun — especially in the fall — but how is it that, almost 20 years after its finale, no show has come close to serving as a proper replacement?
Many of us have enjoyed other series created by Amy Sherman-Palladino (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel) or featuring Gilmore Girls cast members (Parenthood, The Handmaid's Tale, Sullivan's Crossing), or have even settled for . However, none of these scratches the same itch.
Well, Gilmore Girls fans, consider your problems officially over. Based on the of the same name, Apple TV's released its first three episodes on April 15. Earning rave reviews and an impressive 95% score, Margo's Got Money Troubles has been praised for its "emotional detail, authentic performances, and brilliant storytelling," attributes that could also describe Gilmore Girls.
The is led by Elle Fanning as the titular protagonist. Margo Millet is a young college student and aspiring writer who is thrown a massive curveball when she is impregnated by her English professor, with whom she was having an affair. With no money and no plan, Margo decides to have the baby and forge a new life on her terms.
This eventually leads to her becoming an OnlyFans content creator, which proves not only lucrative but also allows Margo to pursue her writing endeavors. Of course, just like having a child at 16, Margo's new career path results in judgment from her family and society as a whole. Fresh, funny, and a celebration of women unapologetically being themselves, Margo's Got Money Troubles is a must-watch for every Gilmore Girls fan.
Margo Is A Gen Z Lorelai Gilmore In Margo's Got Money Troubles
If there's one thing Lorelai Gilmore hates, it's a prescribed path, and her unconventionality is what makes her one of the most winning protagonists in television history. She isn't afraid to roll up her sleeves and dig into the mess of life, especially if it means avoiding getting married at 16 and becoming a carbon copy of her stuffy, upper-crust parents.
Lorelai's backstory of leaving home as a teenage single mom and finding work as a maid at an inn, where she lived in a shed with baby Rory, informs who she is in every Gilmore Girls scene. If there were ever a prequel series about Lorelai raising Rory in the early years of her life, it would look an awful lot like Margo's Got Money Troubles.
Like Lorelai, Margo is willing to perform any job that will help her support her child. She's even willing to dig ditches, so she certainly wouldn't turn her nose up at maid work. However, times have changed in the 40+ years since Rory was born, and Margo has found a more lucrative way to provide for baby Bodhi.
Margo matches Lorelai's self-determination to a tee. Though she leans on family and friends for support, similar to how , Sookie, and the town of Stars Hollow, Margo remains fiercely independent. Like the Apple TV series itself, Margo is never once concerned with whether or not her OnlyFans work is "wrong," despite the moral condemnation from others. It's a job she enjoys that allows her to have a nice little life with her son. Lorelai Gilmore would be proud.
Gilmore Girls Fans Will Love The Mother-Daughter Dynamic Between Elle Fanning & Michelle Pfeiffer
While Margo Millet may be a modern-day Lorelai, Gilmore Girls fans will immediately note the parallels between Lorelai's dynamic with Rory and the relationship Margo has with her former Hooters waitress mother, Shyanne (Michelle Pfeiffer). Though they may not be best friends, Margo and Shyanne are major presences in each other's lives, and their scenes, full of fast-talking banter about life's challenges, are some of the best in the series.
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Just like Elle Fanning, as a mother hellbent on giving her daughter a better life than the one she had. At the same time, Shyanne can be messy and co-dependent, leaning on Margo for emotional support more than a parent should, which is exactly what Lorelai does with Rory.
New episodes of Margo's Got Money Troubles release drop Wednesdays on Apple TV, with the finale airing on May 20, 2026.
Margo's Got Money Troubles may capture audience attention because of the OnlyFans content, but it's ultimately a show about mother-child relationships. Nobody can really replace Lorelai and Rory, but Margo and Shyanne deserve to become just as iconic.
Cast
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Elle Fanning Margo Millet -
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