“The beginning of a story, when you start to read it, is like a first date. You hope that from the opening lines, the magic will happen, and that you will sink into the narrative like a hot bath, giving yourself over entirely. That’s what you want: for the author to come right up to you in the dark of your twisted mind and kiss you on the throat.”
Putting narration like this in the opening minutes of your brand new show is either very brave or very foolish. Using the voice of title character Margo Millet — English major, aspiring writer, and (as of the end of this premiere) single mother — writer-creator David E. Kelley is laying out the criteria by which the audience can evaluate the opening of his own show. By the time the closing credits roll, you can think back to Margo’s words and judge the quality of what you’ve watched.
Did it feel like a great first date? Did the magic happen? Did you sink into a hot narrative bath, like Margo herself sinks into an actual bath later on? Did Margo’s Got Money Troubles come up to you in the dark of your twisted mind and kiss you on the throat?
Well, no.
I’m covering Margo’s Got Money Troubles for Decider, starting with my review of the uneven series premiere, one of three episodes that were released last week. Expect my other reviews up shortly after a back-end backlog!
Tags: decider, margo's got money troubles, TV, TV reviews