A new spy show from Peacock has earned a commendable score on Rotten Tomatoes following its release. Ponies stars Emilia Clarke as one of the leads. It comes from the minds of Susanna Fogel, best known for co-writing Booksmart and directing The Spy Who Dumped Me, and David Iserson, recognized for writing and producing episodes of Mad Men and Mr. Robot, has garnered overwhelmingly positive reviews from critics.
Emilia Clarke-led Ponies gets great reviews and Rotten Tomatoes score
Emilia Clarke’s spy show Ponies has received largely positive reviews from critics, resulting in a near-perfect Rotten Tomatoes score of 91%. Meanwhile, on Metacritic, the show boasts a robust Metascore of 73, denoting “generally favorable” reception.
The reviews praise the newly-released spy thriller’s storytelling, performances, and themes. Collider‘s Tania Hussain, who gave the show an 8/10 rating, highlighted its “compelling writing and striking performances,” adding, “Ponies never loses sight of the grounded chemistry between its leads, making it one of the most impressive new shows of 2026.” She also highlighted the show’s unique place in the world of spy shows, noting that it focused heavily on “character-first storytelling.” She further praised the show for handling its complex nature with “sharp moderation and wit.”
Meanwhile, Abe Friedtanzer of Awards Buzz called Ponies “an entertaining if admittedly light fish-out-of-water tale.” He added that the series was neither “a high drama” nor “a slapstick comedy” but “a middle ground” that blends “a little of both for a light watch that never gets too dark or intense.”
CBR‘s Martin Carr labeled Ponies “a true homage to the golden age of ‘70s spy thrillers.” While he called the series “a by the numbers spy thriller,” he stressed that the narrative had “an undeniable depth” that made the show worth watching. He also called Clarke and co-lead Haley Lu Richardson’s chemistry the show’s “selling point.”
Susanna Fogel is Ponies’ director, while David Iserson serves as showrunner. Meanwhile, Jung Jae-il, who composed the scores for Netflix’s Squid Game and films like Parasite and Mickey 17, worked on the background score.
Besides Clarke and Richardson, the show stars Nicholas Podany, Andrew Richardson, Adrian Lester, and Artjom Gilz, among others.
Originally reported by Abdul Azim Naushad on ComingSoon.
