Moscow, 1977. When Bea (Emilia Clarke) and Twila’s (Hayley Lu Richardson) American embassy (read: CIA) husbands die in a shady-sounding plane accident, they are sent back to the States without fanfare. Stranded in their old lives and desperate to find out the truth, they manage to persuade their husbands’ boss to send them back to Moscow – and into the field. With no experience, no protection and, for Twila, no Russian language skills, there’s a lot for them to learn.
It almost reads like a set-up for a buddy comedy, which at times Ponies is. Clarke and Richardson have good chemistry, and make for a classic coupling of a prim-and-proper component and a caution-to-the-wind renegade. Luckily, the characters and actors have enough depth not to fall too neatly into those stereotypes, and are given their own individually interesting journeys to go on as the series progresses. Their by-the-skin-of-their-teeth operations often have a comic flair, but this is tempered once the stakes are emphasised; this is, after all, 1970s Moscow, and Bea and Twila are, after all, American spies.
Although it may not massively stand out from the spy-thriller crowd, the way in which Ponies plays with ideas of power is notable. Who’s up, who’s down, who knows? Everything can change on the turn of a dime, which keeps things consistently interesting. Whether it’s gender, job title, sexuality or technical skill, the market value of each individual’s characteristics is volatile. The precarity of living under constant surveillance from an unstable state is well-portrayed too, both for those actively involved in espionage and everyday citizens, adding to the tension of it all.
Clarke and Richardson are not just supported by Clarke’s eyebrows and Richardson’s massive hair; the ensemble cast is universally strong. Artjom Gilz, as cold-eyed KGB agent Andrei, is both sinister and somehow, on occasion, sympathetic, while nervy CIA asset Sasha (Petro Ninovskyi) has a damaged charm about him and the scared eyes of a deer caught in headlights. Harriet Walter’s turn as Bea’s Belarusian grandmother is deserving of its own series, as is the life of Ivanna (Lili Walters), a down-to-earth market saleswoman who deals in information as well as old electronics.
Music choices throughout are excellent, a heady mix of Western and Soviet ‘70s pop that is both familiar and nostalgic. Costumes sometimes verge on 1970s party get-up, but when Twila has her giant tinted sunglasses and afghan coat on, it’s hard not to enjoy the style. The first scene of the first episode may be a little jarring for any viewers who have visited Budapest. It’s no surprise that the city is being used to stand in for Moscow, but the decision to use Memento Park, an accumulation of old Soviet statues, as a backdrop is an odd choice. The museum-like setting jars against the insistence that this is a late-70s Russian city, and could make it hard to buy into the story. Luckily, this is the only time we see the park – and the subsequent intrigue is intriguing enough to distract from the faux pas.
Ending a first season on a cliffhanger is always a risk – there’s a graveyard of shows that have been left unrenewed, their plot threads hanging untied in the ether – but hopefully this snappy, stylish thriller will live to see another episode. Ponies is great fun, with enough mystery to keep viewers on their toes, and when it amps things up, in part thanks to its stellar cast, it manages to hit the dramatic, emotional and comic notes that ground it.
★★★★
On Sky and NOW from May 22nd / Emilia Clarke, Hayley Lu Richardson, Artjom Gilz, Petro Ninovskyi, Harriet Walter, Lili Walters / Created by Susanna Fogel and David Iserson / Sky, Peacock
Discover more from
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
