Peacock has released the first “steamy, action-packed” trailer for its new spy thriller series, Ponies , starring Emilia Clarke and Haley Lu Richardson as two unlikely CIA operatives in 1970s Moscow. The show, which promises a mix of intrigue, period-piece visuals, and action, is set to premiere on January 15, 2026.
Widowed Wives Volunteer for the CIA
The series introduces Clarke, 39, as Bea and Richardson, 30, as Twila. The two became close friends when their husbands, both CIA agents under cover at the US Embassy, were moved to Moscow, then the capital of the Soviet Union, in the year 1977 .
The central plot kicks off when their husbands are suddenly killed in a plane crash. In a shocking move, Bea and Twila volunteer to take their husbands’ place, quickly becoming sucked into the dark underbelly of Moscow as new CIA operatives.
Posing publicly as secretaries in the office of the US Ambassador to the USSR, the pair must secretly work to uncover the truth behind their husbands’ deaths and navigate the mysteries of the Soviet Union.
The Advantage of Underestimation: “Persons of No Interest”
The trailer highlights the central theme that their gender and apparent harmlessness are their greatest assets. Richardson’s character, Twila, articulates this advantage in the trailer: “We’re women, people only look at us if they want to have sex with us or marry us, and that’s it.” She concludes: “No one, would ever suspect anything of us.”
Their handler, Dane, played by Adrian Lester , 57, introduces the women to the CIA world. “This job demands sacrifice. Most people are not cut out for it,” Dane says. This warning is paired with a montage of intense action sequences, including shoot-outs, fist fights, and high-speed chases, suggesting the secretaries’ lives are anything but quiet.
The unique title of the series is revealed in a scene where Dane, Bea, and Twila are on patrol near a KGB official. Dane explains their designations: “I’m a POI. Person of Interest. But you two are PONI’s.”
“Ponies,” Twila replies, leading to Bea clarifying the acronym: “Persons of no interest.”
Humor and Intrigue in the Soviet Capital
The trailer also showcases the series’ injection of dark humor into its espionage premise. In one exchange, Richardson’s Twila is critical of an action by Clarke’s Bea, saying: “You could have killed someone,” after Bea somehow lights a bar on fire.
Bea’s flustered reply was: “I didn’t know it was flammable.” Twila then delivers a dry punchline: “Everything is flammable once you light it on fire.”
Beyond the action, the trailer suggests the women will navigate complex new relationships as widowed spies working undercover. It also impresses viewers with its meticulous attention to detail, featuring intricate visuals of rich Russian interiors and authentic 1970s period wardrobe and hair styles.