Forget Westeros for a second. In Peacock’s Ponies, Emilia Clarke trades the Iron Throne for 1977 Moscow, and honestly? It might be one of the most interesting post-Thrones roles she’s taken on.
The premise alone is a hook: Bea (Clarke) and Twila (Haley Lu Richardson) are American embassy wives in the middle of the Cold War, dismissed by everyone around them as harmless “Ponies” — intelligence slang for persons of no interest. Then their CIA husbands die under mysterious circumstances, and instead of grieving quietly, the two women step into the espionage world themselves.
What critics keep pointing out is how different this version of Emilia feels. Bea is quieter, more restrained, more internal than Daenerys ever was — a woman who has to earn her power in a system built to overlook her, instead of being born into it. Variety’s review literally frames it as Clarke “leaving Daenerys behind,” and once you watch a few episodes, you get why. There’s no fire, no armies, no crown here — just a woman learning to survive and outsmart people who never expected her to be dangerous.
The real magic, though, is the chemistry between Clarke and Richardson. Critics have called their dynamic the glue holding the whole show together, balancing genuine grief with sharp, funny, occasionally reckless decisions. Add in a soundtrack packed with ’70s deep cuts and a wardrobe that fully commits to the era, and Ponies becomes one of those shows that’s easy to binge in a single sitting.
And here’s the part that should excite longtime fans the most: the finale ends on a deliberate cliffhanger, all but confirming the team wants a second season. If Peacock gives the green light, we could be watching Emilia Clarke build an entirely new fan-favorite character from scratch — dragon-free, and just as compelling.
