I think saying Gillie rewarded Sam with sex is down playing their relationship up to this point and discounting the things he said to her when she was tending his wounds. It wasn't really "Oh you saved me let me 'reward' you." The things Sam said finally showed Gillie that her feelings are being reciprocated, where as previously he said he can't because he's a brother of the nights watch. Honestly their sex scene seemed like the most loving (even if funny) that has ever been in the show, and its because we have seen how the relationship has evolved and heard the conversations they've had with each other. All others have been one person exerting power over another in one way, shape, or form. Theirs has been an equal partnership. Even when he sent her away for her safety and she came back she demanded that he never do that again and to the best of his abilities he has. He also didn't force her away but rather tried to convince her it was safer for her for reasons that have been confirmed with this episode.
I do agree with you that I hate how the writers are using rape as a plot device. Ghost's appearance to save the day seems more like Deus Ex Machina than realistic. They could of had just a cruel person in camp get in an argument with Gillie and punch her out of anger and Sam trying to save the day be failing to get to the same plot point.
Considering we saw Theon's brutal mutilations and mental conditioning at the hands of Ramsey, and also that he refused his sister's rescue out of fear of Ramsey, this seems par for the course. It also seems to me like the writers are trying to set up his redemption story arc, hopefully culminating in not only Sansa's successful escape, but also him revealing he did not kill Brann and Rickon. Judging by the next episode's preview Sana is going to step up her game and try to get him to help again. Hopefully we see her use that corkscrew on Ramsey's eye but I doubt it. Considering he is the new Joffery as far as nonredeemable characters go I think he will meet a different end, if one at all.
I am most excited to see what happens with Tyrion considering he never met Danerys yet in the books. And now that both his wife and Mel are trying to convince Stannis to sacrifice his daughter for power, I really want to know how that plays out considering what he told his daughter a few episodes earlier. I hope they do not go the route of Menelaus.
