Back in its earliest seasons, Game of Thrones episodes would usually follow a standard storytelling format. For the most part, each episode would bounce throughout various settings in the world of Westeros, such as Winterfell, King's Landing, and the Wall, with each location following a different character. This is similar to how George R.R. Martin set up his point of view character's in the show's source material, his A Song of Ice and Fire novels.
With a few single location exceptions, this structure helped ensure a narrative balance throughout the series' sprawling main cast.
Most of these plot lines take place in the continent of Westeros, the main setting for A Song of Ice and Fire. However, a few stories, especially those following Daenerys Targaryen (Emilia Clarke) happen across the Narrow Sea in the continent of Essos. This allowed the creative team to explore more of Martin's world, while keeping Dany's arc further removed from the rest of the cast. However, Game of Thrones season 6 ends on a major turning point for the story that has since changed HBO’s Westeros franchise forever.
Goodbye, Essos!
The season 6 finale, "The Winds of Winter," ends with Daenerys' long awaited voyage to Westeros. After ruling in Meereen for three seasons, she finally feels ready and able to set sail to her homeland, with armies and dragons at her side, ready to take back the throne she feels is rightfully hers.
However, this marks the final Game of Thrones scene to take place in Essos. As of "The Winds of Winter," all major characters in Essos have now arrived in Westeros. Other Westerosi members who wound up in Essos, such as Tyrion Lannister (Peter Dinklage), Theon (Alfie Allen), and Yara Greyjoy (Gemma Whelan) sail back on Daenerys' fleet, along with many of her Essosi advisors, including Missandei (Nathalie Emmanuel), Grey Worm (Jacob Anderson), and Varys (Conleth Hill), the latter of whom had actually spent more time in Westeros than Essos up to this point, despite his Lysian background.
Additionally, Arya Stark (Maisie Williams) had left Braavos for good by this point, making her grand return to Westeros in "The Winds of Winter," utilizing her face changing abilities from the House of Black and White to kill Walder Frey (David Bradley). Ser Jorah Mormont (Iain Glen) arrived at the Citadel off screen by the time of the season 7 premiere, "Dragonstone."
Since then, the franchise has shifted away from Essos. In season 7, when the Braavosi banker Tycho Nestoris (Mark Gatiss) reappears, he is seen visiting King's Landing to meet with Queen Cersei Lannister (Lena Headey), although all of his previous scenes took place in Essos.
Additionally, neither of the subsequent spinoffs spend much time dealing with Essos. To date, only two episodes feature plot lines which take place across the Narrow Sea in House of the Dragon, with an exploration of Daemon Targaryen's (Matt Smith) unhappily married life in Pentos in season 1, and Tyland Lannister's (Jefferson Hall) brief meeting with Sharako Lohar (Abigail Thorn) in season 2 shortly before the Battle of the Gullet. Essos does not appear in A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms season 1.
In the case of multiple characters, "Essos" is code for "no longer in the show." Daenerys notably leaves her paramour Daario Naharis (Michiel Huisman) behind to rule Meereen, symbolically writing him out to romantically free her up. In House of the Dragon, Rhaenyra Targaryen (Emma D'Arcy) helps fake her husband Laenor's (John Macmillan) death, allowing him and his lover Qarl (Arty Froushan) to escape to Essos, marking the end of their roles. In both cases, a future in Essos translates to "out of the show."
Why limit storytelling to one continent?
Shifting focus away from Essos means extra emphasis on Westeros itself. While the expansive nature of the narrative was part of the fun back when Game of Thrones first aired, its later seasons, as well as both House of the Dragon and A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, focus on a tighter-knit story.
Daenerys, Arya, and the rest of the main cast of Game of Thrones seasons 7 and 8 all feel physically closer helps shrink the scope of the story, pointing all eyes to the end games of the Iron Throne and the undead invasion. House of the Dragon tells the tale of a civil wore that shook Westeros to its core, so containing action to just the one continent allows the Dance of Dragons feel like it affects the entire world.
Finally, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms has always aimed for a smaller scale than its two predecessors, so there simply isn't room for the series to explore a second continent (unless a future Dunk and Egg adventure brings the duo across the Narrow Sea for a season).
Still, HBO hopefully won't abandon Essos entirely. From the Free Cities to the Eastern city of Yi Ti, the continent has plenty of potentially exciting stories to tell. With any luck, a future spinoff, such as Nine Voyages, the long gestating animated Corlys Velaryon (Steve Toussaint) story which follows his adventures at sea, could explore Essos further. Regardless of whether or not Essos ever makes an on screen return, Daenerys' early days across the Narrow Sea mark a high point of the franchise and helped make Game of Thrones the cultural juggernaut it is today.
For more from the world of Westeros, make sure to stream the recently-released House of the Dragon season 3 on HBO Max.
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