Ponies

Some reveals were jaw-dropping, and that’s not an overexaggeration. There are a ton of unanswered questions and mysteries. Ultimately, the ending of season 1 primes us for a second season, and Peacock would be foolish not to renew Ponies because they’ve created a unique and utterly irresistible spy show.

The platonic chemistry between Clarke and Richardson is the glue that binds the whole enterprise together.

Their [Emilia Clarke and Haley Lu Richardson's] chemistry, and the absurdity of their situation, propels the story over any early “wait, what?” bumps and confusing tonal shifts into an increasingly propulsive and cohesive spy drama, with plenty of “trust no one” twists and turns, and the kind of period detail that would make “Mad Men” proud.

It’s a wildly entertaining rollercoaster that will have you rooting for the complex characters, questioning who you can trust, and reexamining your own biases in a way that doesn’t feel derivative.

Peacock delivers a sharp, genuinely fun spy series that feels intimate even at its most dangerous and one that lingers well after the credits roll.

A well-made and entertaining period espionage show that, despite the numerous broad strokes it fires, hits its target with solid, entertaining precision.

Ponies, starring Emilia Clarke and Haley Lu Richardson, has moments of dazzle. But with neither enough depth to leave a lasting impression nor enough entertainment to make up for that, the drama winds up little more than a forgettable distraction.

I was all in after the first episode. Absolutely love the depth of the characters, and the complicated yet complimentary dynamic between Bea and Twila. I was such a fan of the strong, capable female portrayed during a time and place where it almost seems farfetched in this genre. To me, however, it felt believable with the incredible talents of the cast. What a cliffhanger! Genuinely hopeful for at least another season.

Emilia Clarke and Haley Lu Richardson play wives of two recently murdered CIA operatives. They return to Moscow, where they hesitantly assume spy duties to discover the truth. Since they are wives, they’re considered “Persons of No Interest,” hence the acronym title. This series has two things that make it stand out: Russia in the seventies and the two leads. Clarke’s expressive forehead, caterpillar eyebrows and sweet smile make her a charming presence, while Richardson is doing her best Natasha Lyonne impression. Their chemistry holds the show together. The spy elements add interesting plot points, although some of their daring exploits challenge realistic thinking. For an old-fashioned espionage thriller, it’s entertaining, while never especially tense. (8 one-hour eps with an cliff-hanger ending, even though a 2nd season has been announced)

Season 1 of this show started reasonably strong, but become more and more ridiculous as it went on. Emilia Clarke is fantastic. She can play cute, sexy, funny, scared, your best friend -- great range. Haley Lu Richardson does not find as many notes, and too often leans into a quirky loud American style that becomes a bit tiresome. There is this side look, with her eyes to show she is taken aback / considering something, she continually does which is even odder. She also sounds a lot like she's doing a Jennifer Aniston imitation. The main villain is suitably creepy. The women's sidekicks develop well. The sets are good, but a ton of green screen -- I understand that's the only way to shoot these shows set in the late 70s in another country, but it can be distracting. But I was going to give this a 7, but the last two epsidoes, just a ton of stuff happens (e.g., killings; fights; fires) that are just out of pocket. For example, the secret files of the CIA in Moscow are set on fire. Does the CIA have sprinkler system? Apparently not! People who are extremely dangerous are hurt and left for dead when they of course come back to wreak havoc. I hope they make a second season and calm down, but I'm not as excited about it now as I was for much of the season 1.

This show has been sabotaged by terrible writing. The characters are OK (the curly haired lead annoys me), the plot is even ok. How many stupid writing oversites can happen in one episode. I mean the writing is just TERRIBLE. Decisions no one would make. Scenarios that could never happen. Stupid plot twists that make no logical sense. I might watch another season as it's vaguely entertaining, or at least fills time, but you must change out your writers and find some better talent. Just terrible.

Tonal trainwreck. Haley Lu Richardson's character, apparently written for a 1980s teen sex comedy, walks around Soviet Moscow dropping smug sarcasm everywhere, but only the showrunner could think she's as hilarious as she’s meant to be. Her complete ignorance of the Cold War and the KGB is confounding considering she lives in Russia and her soon-to-be killed husband is a CIA agent. Madcap nonsense here lives next to brutal violence (the graphic murder of a prostitute comes to mind) and just like the second season of Susanne Fogel's The Flight Attendant the smugness factor is extremely off-putting.