Fillory is Ember's personal telenovela.

After hearing Umber's explanation for his brother's chaotic choices on The Magicians Season 2 Episode 12. life in the magical realm makes a lot more sense.

The land is being governed by a god who would happily burn it to the ground for his own entertainment. Now we know why he destroyed the wellspring.

Unfortunately, the explanation does little to help Eliot and Quentin come up with a solution for their problem.

Like Umber, I appreciated Eliot's passion for his newfound home. He's no longer the High King because he made a sacrifice. He's the High King who wants to make his kingdom better for the people he loves, and the people he rules.

He's grown up a lot over the course of the season. This won't be the first time he's charged into battle. But I do think this will be a fight he takes on with his entire heart.

Heed my warning. Nothing entertains Ember more than a whimsical death.

Umber

• Permalink: Heed my warning. Nothing entertains Ember more than a whimsical death.

Which is why I'm concerned about Umber's warning. 

Not only do Eliot and Quentin have to face Ember's whims, they're going to battle the fairies, and possibly Prince Ess and his followers. That's a lot of potential for casualties. And the royals are the likely targets.

I hope it doesn't come to that. I'd like to see everyone working together to defeat whatever comes after them. But having watched The Magicians for two seasons, I know better than to think it will ever be that easy.

We're likely to see at least one death on The Magicians Season 2 Episode 13. Possibly more. And that makes me nervous.

Josh: You could say please.
Margo: No, I literally could not. I'm going to go find Fen. You find a goddamn way to get me back.

• Permalink: No, I literally could not. I'm going to go find Fen. You find a goddamn way to get me back.

I was disappointed we didn't get more of Margo in the fairy realm. 

Josh's stint as the High King was amusing, but I would have rather spent the time with Margo. What's happening to her in the fairy realm? Has she found Fen? 

All we know about the fairies is how powerful they are. We don't know why or how much they control. It would have been nice to learn something about them before the finale.

Starting with, how much danger will everyone face when they attempt a rescue mission?

Penny's already on the brink of death after his trip to the Poison Room with Sylvia.

Obviously that trip was destined to end in disaster because it was far too easy for them to make the jump. Nothing ever goes Penny's way. How has he still not gotten his magic back?

I understand the concept of a hero's journey, but Penny always seems to be stuck in the dark night of the soul arc. He has to catch a break at some point, right?

Although, he did survive the radiation poisoning that killed Sylvia. So that counts as the smallest of wins.

While we're talking about small wins, Alice is back! 

But it only counts as a small win because she's furious about it. Alice liked being a Niffin. She liked having the whole world to explore. She also liked not worrying about pesky things like human feelings.

It's hard to blame her for that. Alice Quinn suffered a lot in her life. I can see why she'd choose to be a Niffin. Especially since she proved that she could control herself.

Mayakovsky's appearances always prove to be interesting. I approved of Quentin using his history with Emily to get through to the professor. Some things are worth fighting for.

He took the lesson to heart, and passed it along to Alice. She's clearly not ready to resume her normal life yet. But she heard his message, as well as Quentin's. 

I believe she'll make the right call when the time comes. 

Julia: I'm sorry.
Kady: [keeps walking]
Julia: I got my shade back.
Kady: [stops]
Julia: And then I lost it again. For good. But, I also discovered I don't have to be like the beast. With the right help, I can do good. I just have a chip missing.
Kady: What do you want from me, Julia?
Julia: To be the missing chip. Tell me when to tap on the brakes.
Kady: Tap?
Julia: Slam on them. I trust you. I need you.

• Permalink: Slam on them. I trust you. I need you.

Just as Julia did when it was her big moment.

I did think she would kill Reynard anyway. Especially since Kady seemed onboard with it. And she was supposed to be Julia's conscience.

Should she trust Our Lady Underground? So far, none of the gods and goddesses have lived up to the magicians' expectations. She did take Reynard away, and returned Julia's shade.

But wouldn't everyone sleep better if Reynard was dead and buried for good?

That's one of those pesky moral dilemmas fictional characters could debate forever.

I'm not sure what this means for Julia and Kady's friendship. The weight of killing the senator, even though it was his choice, might be enough to crush Kady.

And Julia not following through could be the kind of betrayal even the best bitches can't bounce back from.

Now it's your turn to tell us what you thought of "Ramifications."

Did Julia make the right call? Were you surprised by John and Sylvia's deaths? Are you surprised to learn Umber's alive? Will Eliot and Quentin find a better plan?

Remember, you can watch The Magicians online anytime!

Mandy Treccia was a staff writer for TV Fanatic. She retired in September 2017. Follow her on Twitter.