The first season of Apple TV’s Margo’s Got Money Troubles ends today and I, along with many others, will be tuning in to see how Margo’s money troubles, yes, but also family troubles will end. Will the feckless English professor who impregnated her and then turned out to have a wife and kids win? Will her father, the wrestler Jinx aka Ron Swanson (Nick Offerman), overcome his opioid addiction? Will her mother, Shayanne (Michelle Pfeiffer), find marital bliss? And just as interestingly, what costume will her roommate Susie (Thaddea Graham) create for Margo next?
Costuming and the power of creativity is a running theme through the show, which follows aspiring writer Margo Millet (Elle Fanning), a college dropout and new single mom, who turns to OnlyFans to support her child. Margo creates an alien alter ego—probably vanilla, considering it is OF—online called Hungry Ghost, who has green skin, wears Barbarella-inspired silver bodysuits and, if you pay her $20, might even show you her boobs.
This unique approach seems natural when you realise that Margo is surrounded by people who wear costumes. Her father’s work persona, Jinx, wears a metallic unitard when he’s in the wrestling ring. Her lawyer is another wrestler who alternates between Dolce & Gabbana animal-print suits and Wonder Woman-esque caped onesies. Margo’s friend and support system Susie is a LARPer and fan of the video game Baldur’s Gate 3 and ends up being the one who opens the world of creative cosplay to Margo.
In some ways, Susie is the most joyful character to watch. The costume department leaned on a mix of thrifted, made, and designer finds for all the characters in the show, and Susie’s wardrobe too ranged from oversized T-shirts and cosy knits to cardigans from niche New York-based brands like Lirika Matoshi and Cinq à Sept. All of it was layered with her own fantasy-inspired details—a touch of chainmail, chunky belts with ornate buckles, a silver gauntlet worn over a floral jacquard jacket, or a delicate beaded headdress like she’s a wise mage from Middle Earth.
Our first real introduction to Susie comes when she’s watching Jinx on TV (she doesn’t yet know that he’s Margo’s dad) and copying his moves. In that moment she’s wearing a maroon tracksuit that she’s probably detailed herself with sequinned trimming and even hand-painted with figures of Jinx himself, a nod to how much she idolises him.
Costume designer Mirren Gordon-Crozier told W Mag that Susie was one of her favourite characters to dress. “Susie can crochet. She has a glue gun. She knows how to make her own stuff. But she’s also figuring out her style. As the season progresses, you see that she becomes more and more of who she wants to be.” She added that indie actor Zoë Bleu, daughter of actress Rosanna Arquette, who favours ruff collared dresses, vintage corsets and fairy-like drapes was on her moodboard as a reference for Susie’s style. “She has the most amazing style. It’s very whimsical. She'll wear a slip from the 1800s with a black choker.”
Towards the end of the show, Susie makes her big reveal: a masterful costume of her favourite video game character, Shadowheart, which she spent six months working on, complete with fabric breastplate, aluminium pull-tabs as chainmail, a headdress, spear, and even elf ears. That costume was a group effort, revealed Gordon-Crozier to Harper’s Bazaar. “We had a bucket on set, and had everyone put the tabs from their cans in there, so we collected 100 or so.”
As the season progresses you realise that Susie provides so much of the support that Margo needs—she’s mature, is able to make rent without any trouble, and with her skills at craft enables Margo’s out-of-this-world looks. When Jinx overdoses on heroin, it’s Susie who is the voice of reason and tells Margo she has to prioritise her child and make him leave. On the other hand, when Jinx is feeling depressed, it’s Susie who is there to remind him of his responsibilities by threatening him with the chore chart.
Like in so many shows, Susie is a side character who really shines. I’m thinking of Kayla from Hacks, Karen from Will & Grace, Mindy in Emily in Paris or even Samantha from Sex & The City. When the main characters get really annoying or struggle, the side character is there delivering wisdom, perspective, and usually excellent fashion game. She might not get an entire plotline to herself, but when she appears she delivers.
Redditors are fans of Susie too, with some declaring that it often feels like Margo is taking advantage of her roommate’s generosity. “Does anyone else feel like margo is lowkey taking advantage of susie /: i haven’t read the book but it def seems like she’s being used,” said Suitable-Safe6700. “I get the sense that out of craziness of this show, Susie stands out to me. Susie just feels like a good natured person that can get used when someone (in this case Margo) gets “big” or starts to feel too self important,” wrote the user faustill.
Graham, the northern Irish actor who plays Susie in the show, is a familiar face for fans of Bad Sisters and Sex Education, where she also took on some memorable side characters. Graham told Deadline that Susie was “so quirky and weird in the most wonderful ways. I think quirky and weird and nerdy are often negative connotations, and they aren’t, and they shouldn’t be. We should be celebrated for our quirks and our whimsies, and we probably need more of that.”
In a show that’s full of messy characters who make poor decisions, go ahead and be like Susie instead. Embrace your inner weirdo, crochet that beanie, and who knows—maybe you’ll get your own spinoff.
