'House of the Dragon' Season 2 Trailer's Spinning Stone Ball, Explained
The ominous spinning orb in the trailer is a new addition to the franchise that may take on more and more significance.
House of the Dragon hasn't introduced many new elements to the world established by Game of Thrones and A Song of Ice and Fire, but one new detail has fans surprisingly captivated: the Small Council's stone balls. The trailer for Season 2 shows polished stone ball spinning rapidly on its matching stone plinth, reminding fans of the orbs' introduction Season 1. Here's what we know about these unique set pieces.
The spinning ball in the trailer appears to belong to Queen Alicent Hightower (Olivia Cooke), and there's no telling why exactly it's spinning. If you recall, in Season 1 we saw the Small Council with one of these orbs in front of each member whenever they gathered around the table. The councilors would place their ball in its stand to signify that they were in attendance and on duty, while a large stand in the center of the table would remind them all of which councilors were absent from that meeting. This isn't something we saw in Season 1, nor in George R.R. Martin's books.
House of the Dragon set decorator Claire Nie Richards spoke about this new element in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter. She said: "It represented the council coming in and being part of the meeting." Showrunner Ryan Condal chimed in as well.
"Everybody shows up for work and they 'punch in,'" he said. "I thought it was really cool. It's a way of visualizing the set formality of the Small Council chamber. It's enjoyable; we should have things that we like in this world."
The orbs also serve as a visual shorthand for fans who haven't read the books. If you're just watching the show, it may be harder to keep track of all the offices represented in the council and how the advisors to the king balance their power. This way, we can see when there's an empty seat and when one person replaces another in the same role. Meanwhile, we can also see how the Hand of the King is a separate honor from the roles like "Master of Coin," "Master of Ships" and so on.
It's easy to see how those orbs are taking on some symbolic significance, and will probably take on more as the story goes on. Perhaps when we see the one in the trailer spinning we'll be able to understand more. House of the Dragon Season 2 premieres in the summer of 2024 on HBO and Max.