Emilia Clarke’s Acclaimed Show That Beat Game of Thrones Rating Gets Canceled After 1 Season
Emilia Clarke’s Peacock spy thriller Ponies has been canceled after just one season, despite receiving strong reviews from critics and audiences. Created by Susanna Fogel and David Iserson, the series stars Clarke alongside Haley Lu Richardson. Set in 1977, it follows two secretaries working at the United States embassy in Moscow who are recruited as CIA operatives after their spy husbands die under mysterious circumstances.
Since premiering in January 2026, Ponies has earned widespread praise and currently holds a 94% critic score, which is higher than Clarke’s most famous series, Game of Thrones. The HBO hit has an 89% critic score on Rotten Tomatoes (as of June 24, 2026).
However, the positive reception was not enough to secure a second season. Peacock has not officially explained the cancellation, but reports suggest the show failed to appear on the Nielsen streaming Top 10 charts after its release (via Variety).
David Iserson Reacts to Ponies Cancellation
David Iserson, co-creator of Ponies, has shared his reaction to the show’s cancellation. Taking to Instagram, he wrote, “Well… it looks like PONIES will not be renewed for a second season by Peacock,” while reflecting on the seven-year journey it took to bring the series to the screen.
“What we made surpassed all of my hopes and dreams for a television show,” Iserson said, adding,
Saying this fights every self-deprecating, humble bone in my body, but PONIES is a great show. And it was made by great people. I am proud of every second we put on screen. The cast, crew, producers, and writers all put their best work into this, and we can all feel it.
He also described the series as “bold, surprising, stylish” and expressed gratitude to viewers who supported the show. “Goodbye to Bea and Twila for now. I hope we all get to visit them again,” he wrote, leaving fans hopeful that the characters could return someday.
Haley Lu Richardson, who played Twila, also shared her reaction with a photo of donuts on Instagram stories, including ones decorated with “Ponies,” “Twila,” and “4Ever.” Meanwhile, Vic Michaelis, who portrayed Cheryl Szymanski, reposted Iserson’s statement on Instagram stories. “Thank you so much to everyone who watched,” she said, expressing her gratitude to fans who supported the series.
The Season 2 Story the Creators Had Planned for Cheryl
Prior to the show’s cancellation, Ponies creators Susanna Fogel and David Iserson shared some of their plans for Season 2, including a deeper storyline for Cheryl and hints about where the story could have gone next.
Speaking to Deadline, the creators revealed that they intended to explore Cheryl’s shocking reveal as the mole in much greater detail. “We will explore how she was turned much more in Season 2,” the creators said. Fogel and Iserson also explained that Cheryl was always meant to be the mole.
We always planned on her being the mole. She is someone Bea and Twila underestimate, while they are also being underestimated. The clues are that the mole is close to Ray and Dane and we watch as Cheryl is undervalued, under-appreciated, and feels insecure by Eevi.
The creators also teased that Sasha may have survived the Season 1 finale. They suggested that a second season could have put Bea in a complicated emotional situation involving Sasha, her husband Chris, who was revealed to be alive, and possibly Vasiliev as well.
Unfortunately, with the show’s sudden cancellation, fans may never get to see these planned storylines unfold on screen.
Ponies Season 1 finale follows Bea and Twila as they uncover a cache of kompromat tapes and capture Vasiliev. The biggest twist of the finale was Cheryl being revealed as the mole, leading her to kill Eevi and destroy evidence. As KGB agents disguised as firefighters infiltrate the Americans’ offices, Bea and Twila find themselves held at gunpoint, ending the season on a dramatic cliffhanger.
Did you like Ponies? What are your thoughts on the Ponies cancellations? Share with us in the comments below.
Ponies is streaming on Peacock.
