"Ponies" Review: More Than Just Small Horses
- Elizabeth Sanate
- Jan 19
- 3 min read
The title “Ponies” sounds harmless, almost sweet. It suggests something light, maybe even comforting. That impression doesn’t last long.
From it’s opening moments, Ponies settles into a quiet unease. There are no loud hooks or dramatic statements. Instead, the tension builds slowly, through looks that linger a little too long and conversations that never feel completely safe. Set during the Cold War, the series places its characters in a world where silence often feels safer than honesty, and trust is something you ration carefully.
What makes Ponies immediately interesting is how restrained it is. The show doesn’t rush to explain itself or spell out every danger. It waits.
And as a viewer, you start paying closer attention. Why is everyone so careful? Who is listening? And what happens when staying quiet becomes harder than speaking up?
By the time those questions form, the show already has your attention.
Ponies is a Cold War spy drama that focuses on people, not spectacle
Once the tone is set, it becomes clear what Ponies is really about.
The story follows Bea and Twila, two American women living in Moscow in the late 1970s, whose lives are upended after their CIA-agent husbands die under suspicious circumstances. Labeled “persons of no interest” by the KGB, they are initially dismissed as harmless. Instead of leaving, the women agree to work with the CIA to uncover what really happened.
They aren’t trained spies. They don’t have special skills or protection. They operate under constant scrutiny, learning as they go, knowing that a single mistake could expose them. What begins as a search for answers slowly pulls them into a much larger intelligence game.
This series is not like those driven by flashy missions or clever twists. It’s more about what it feels like to be watched, underestimated, and forced to survive in a system designed to crush mistakes.
Emilia Clarke delivers a performance built on restraint
Emilia Clarke anchors the series with a performance that relies on control rather than dramatics.
Her character rarely explains how she feels, but you can see it in the effort it takes to stay composed. She thinks before she speaks. She listens more than she talks. Every response feels weighed, as if she’s always calculating the cost.
The supporting cast works in the same restrained rhythm. Relationships form slowly and cautiously, shaped more by necessity than comfort. Even moments of closeness feel fragile. You’re left wondering whether the connection here is genuine or simply another survival strategy.
That uncertainty gives every interaction weight.
The Cold War setting shapes behaviour instead of delivering lectures
The Cold War backdrop in “Ponies” isn’t presented through heavy explanations. It’s felt.
Rooms feel closed in. Conversations feel measured. Even moments that should feel private carry an edge. The visual design muted colours, tight interiors, reinforces the sense that freedom is limited and observation is constant.
The show doesn’t stop to explain how dangerous this world is. It lets behaviour do the work. Fear shapes how people speak. Power determines who listens. Trust becomes something that takes time, and even then, it never feels guaranteed.
In a world like this, complete honesty rarely feels like an option, even in relationships that should feel safe. That constant self-censorship becomes a defining part of everyday life in Ponies.
The slow pacing mirrors the world the characters live in
Ponies move slowly because their characters live under constant psychological pressure. Conversations stretch longer than expected. Pauses feel deliberate. Silence often carries more meaning than dialogue.
A poorly chosen word can shift trust. A brief hesitation can raise suspicion. By allowing scenes to breathe, the series makes those risks feel immediate and real. Instead of chasing momentum, Ponies focuses on the strain of maintaining control in an environment where mistakes are costly.
That pacing reflects the reality of its world, careful, restrictive, and emotionally draining.
Final thoughts on Ponies: Why the title is misleading by design
Despite its gentle name, “Ponies” is a funny, stylish, and tense Cold War drama. The title reflects how its central characters are perceived as underestimated, dismissed, and overlooked, and that perception becomes their greatest advantage.
The show mostly works as a fun watch because the creators understand that surviving in a world depending on restraint, adaptability, and silence makes for one hell of a show when the assets are differently strong.
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