Sunday’s hour of Game of Thrones felt a scant 20 minutes, loaded with shock factor, upheaval and the brand of Westerosi monstrosity we’ve become accustomed to.

“The Old Gods and the New” is a phrase we’ve heard many, many times in Westeros.   The Old Gods were kept by the original, ‘first men’ of Westeros.  The New Gods are the Seven — the Mother, the Father, Warrior, the Crone, the Smith, the Maiden, and the Stranger.

And  still newer gods come from all directions; Melisandre’s Red God, which Jaqen has invoked.   Syrio’s God of Death, to whom we say, not today.   And certainly not least, the Drowned God of the Ironmen, to whom payment was made on Sunday, with Rodrik Cassel’s  head.

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Harrenhal already seems like it could be the likeliest place in Westeros for a ghost to take up residence.   Arya Stark is basically dead to the world; small wonder she finds herself in a position to be Harrenhal’s newest specter, a girl whose words can now kill.

Sunday was about Game of Thrones’ characters gaining new ground in unexpected places.   Finding new sources of strength where they never imagined them to be.   And naturally, having those new gains define character arcs and plots for the rest of the season.  A setup episode of connective tissue necessary at this season’s midpoint.

Before all that setup could happen, and just as the show was teasing us with the prospect of an alliance between Highgarden and the North, we had to see what became of Stannis and Mel’s love-shadow.   And we did.

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