Viewers hit play on Ponies’ first episode and face a green-pixel message typing out on screen, clacking like an old typewriter straight from 1977 tech. It spells out the core gag: Persons of Interest get watched for power and secrets, while Persons of No Interest, or PONIs, blend into crowds as nobodies.
Right away, the setup nods to comedy in espionage without spelling it out, green raster font evoking clunky Soviet-era computers.
Cut to shaky cam stalking Moscow streets, ignoring a woman named Bea amid payphones and propaganda posters, zooming instead on suited men like they’re the real targets.
The frame flips between full wide shots and tight spy-view circles, blacking out the edges to mimic surveillance snaps, complete with a shutter click that blacks the screen. Fleetwood Mac’s “Second Hand News” pulses underneath, groovy bass and peppy lyrics clashing against gray communist blocks for an instant fun vibe.
This isn’t grim thriller territory; it promises laughs amid the stakes, flashing key players like Bea, her colleague Twila, and embassy figures in quick, telling beats.
Production nails the era down to car models and color palettes, dropping viewers into late 1976 Moscow, where embassy staff navigate tense U.S.-USSR friction.
Critics note how it packs plot foundation, tone, and world-building without overload, outshining recent openers from shows like Yellowjackets or The Last of Us that leaned heavily on shock over setup. ScreenRant called it a wipeout for 2021-2026 rivals, arguing no other cold open matches this blend of info dump and hook.
Clarke and Richardson Flip the Spy Duo Script
Bea, played by Emilia Clarke, carries Soviet roots and fluent Russian from her immigrant family, starting as an overqualified secretary stuck filing papers at the U.S. embassy.
Her husband dies mysteriously, thrusting her into CIA ops alongside Twila, Haley Lu Richardson’s brash small-town firecracker who fears nothing but Xerox machines.
Their husbands’ killings are tied to a KGB surveillance plot, forcing the pair from grief to undercover work, chasing moles and seduction games in a web of embassy moles and high-stakes cons.
Chemistry sells it from frame one, with Twila pushing Bea to haggle with a shady vendor, their opposites-attract spark echoing buddy-cop pairs but rooted in female friendship amid the pain of widowhood.
Ponies (Credit: Peacock)
Supporting turns shine too: Nicholas Podany as asset Ray in marital mess, Artjom Gilz as deadly KGB boss Andrei eyeing Bea, Adrian Lester handling CIA oversight with cool precision. Peacock’s blog showcases stunning costumes that embody 70s flair, from groovy prints to fur coats that clash with spy tension.
Reviews lock in on this duo driving the binge, LA Times praising emotional layers that lift standard spy beats, while Decider spots their growth from doubt to defiance. Clarke bounces back post-Secret Invasion gripes, her Russian-inflected grit earning raves that forget the acting entirely.
Richardson’s fearless edge pairs perfectly, turning secretaries into assets who crack conspiracies others miss, all while subplots like Ray’s home drama add domestic bite.
Critics Crown It, Viewers Binge, Peacock Bets Big
Ponies dropped all eight hours January 15 on Peacock, snagging Certified Fresh at 95% critics from 22 takes, audience at 79%, and climbing. That’s Clarke’s peak score, edging Game of Thrones’ 89% aggregate, with early verdicts calling it a twisty Slow Horses heir, balancing suspense and laughs.
Roger Ebert pegs it as a compelling female-led thriller worth renewal, Paste and Digital Spy echo the hook from that opener, fueling a full-season pull.
Past five-year openers like Severance’s office dread or Beef’s road rage pop struggle against Ponies’ efficiency, per lists ranking 2020s starts.
No em dash needed; this sequence stands alone for smart visuals over flash. Peacock pairs it with The Copenhagen Test spy drop, signaling streamer push into espionage post-Twisted Metal wins.
Fan chatter explodes on socials, praising how it sidesteps grimdark for vibrant 70s pop amid Cold War chill, with calls for Twila-Bea spin-offs.
Creator David Iserson and director Susanna Fogel, fresh off Mr. Robot and Flight Attendant, craft pacing that fixes early wobbles by midseason, per ScreenRant. As January 2026 binge king, Ponies proves overlooked women make the sharpest spies, opener setting a bar few series touch.
Peter Claffey steps into the boots of Ser Duncan the Tall, or Dunk, a massive hedge knight scraping by without noble blood or fancy gear. Fresh off roles in Vikings: Valhalla and Bad Sisters, the Irish actor brings raw physicality to a character who buries his mentor Ser Arlan and heads to the Ashford Meadow tourney seeking glory.
Dunk’s story kicks off with him claiming his late master’s sword and horses, then picking up a mysterious bald boy as squire after a rough encounter at an inn.
Dexter Sol Ansell plays that boy, Egg , whose true name, Prince Aegon Targaryen, stays secret for most of the action. Known from The Hunger Games prequel as young Coriolanus Snow, Ansell captures the kid’s street-smart persistence as he begs to join Dunk’s wandering life.
Their bond forms the heart of the series, drawn from George R.R. Martin’s Tales of Dunk and Egg novellas set nearly a century before Game of Thrones. Claffey and Ansell lead a tight ensemble in the six-episode first season that premiered January 18, 2026, on HBO , pulling in solid reviews for its buddy dynamic over epic battles.
Danny Webb portrays Ser Arlan of Pennytree, Dunk’s grizzled old mentor whose death launches the plot. Webb, a vet of shows like Humans and The Frankenstein Chronicles, fits the role of a faded hedge knight who taught Dunk the ropes of survival in Westeros.
Together, these core players set up the grounded tone, far from dragon fire or iron thrones, focusing on tourney tents and muddy fields.
Targaryen Firebrands Rock the Tourney
Finn Bennett embodies Prince Aerion Targaryen , the cruel Brightflame, whose hot temper ignites the main conflict by attacking a puppeteer. Bennett breaks out from True Detective: Night Country as a silver-haired bully who twists events to frame Dunk for assault and kidnapping.
His clash with Dunk leads straight to a brutal Trial of Seven, a massive melee where champions bash it out to prove innocence.
Henry Ashton tackles Prince Daeron the Drunken Targaryen, Aerion’s boozy brother, who spills secrets about Egg’s disguise while fleeing their father’s watch. Ashton, seen in Platonic and The Salisbury Poisoning, adds comic relief to the royal family’s dysfunction at the tourney.
Sam Spruell plays their stern father, Prince Maekar Targaryen, a battle-hardened warrior whose presence looms over the chaos; Spruell’s turns in Small Axe and The Greatest Showman suit the no-nonsense prince perfectly.
Bertie Carvel rounds out the Targaryen crew as Prince Baelor Breakspear Targaryen, the wise Hand of the King and Egg’s uncle, who judges the trial fairly. Carvel’s acclaimed work in The Crown and Taskmaster brings gravitas to this heir to the throne, balancing the family’s wilder sides.
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms (Credit: HBO Max)
These royals, all hiding among the tourney crowds, crank up the stakes as Dunk fights for his freedom, with HBO’s adaptation sticking close to the novella’s political undercurrents.
Tourney Heavyweights and Key Allies
Daniel Ings swings into Ser Lyonel Baratheon, the Laughing Storm, a booming Stormlands heir whose massive frame and wild laugh dominate the lists.
Ings, familiar from Sex Education and The Crown, nails the jovial giant who parties hard but wields a mean sword against Dunk in early tilts. His tent becomes a hub of revelry, where Dunk briefly wears the stag crown amid feasts and dances.
Shaun Thomas handles Ser Raymun Fossoway, the Reluctant knight who joins Dunk’s side in the Trial of Seven after bonding over tourney woes. Thomas, from The Territory and Boiling Point, portrays the apple-emblazoned squire-turned-champion with earnest grit.
Edward Ashley plays his cocky cousin Ser Steffon Fossoway, an early antagonist who mocks Dunk’s low status before the action heats up; Ashley’s credits include Masters of the Air.
Tanzyn Crawford shines as Tanselle, the Dornish puppeteer whose dragon show sparks Aerion’s rage and Dunk’s protective fury. Crawford’s roles in Tiny Beautiful Things highlight her as the story’s moral spark amid knightly egos.
Youssef Kerkour forges ahead as Steely Pate, the Reach blacksmith who arms Dunk, drawing from his Justice League and Inflatable Guy bits for a sturdy side player.
Tom Vaughan-Lawlor plays Plummer, Ashford’s no-nonsense keeper who points Dunk toward sponsors, leveraging the actor’s Warrior and Avengers: Endgame chops. Daniel Monks jousts as Ser Manfred Dondarrion, the Blackhaven knight who snubs Dunk’s plea for vouching.
Ross Anderson clashes as Ser Humfrey Hardyng, a tiltyard foe, while Steve Wall lords over as Leo Longthorn Tyrell of Highgarden.
This packed roster fills out the Ashford Meadow with rivals, allies, and schemers, adapting The Hedge Knight into a season that hit screens last weekend to 87% on Rotten Tomatoes for its fresh Westeros vibe.
Production wrapped in Belfast last year, with season two already greenlit after fan buzz built on House of the Dragon’s success. Directors Owen Harris and Sarah Adina Smith helm episodes blending tourney spectacle with character clashes, proving HBO still rules fantasy TV.
