Tay Kolma? Andor Season 2 Episode 3’s Confusing Cliffhanger Ending, Explained
Did the series just off a character without anyone noticing?
Andor is finally back and has already started its second and final season with an embarrassment of riches. The first three episodes of the season chart a full arc with multiple storylines: We follow Cassian as he steals a TIE fighter; Bix and the rest of the Ferrix gang as they lay low on the agricultural planet of Mina-Rau; Syril Karn and Dedra Meero as they navigate the ISB; and Mon Mothma as she throws an extravagant Chandrilan wedding for her daughter.
By the end of the arc, most of the storylines have wrapped up, but our last image of Mon Mothma is her dancing like no one’s watching at the wedding reception. However, a mundane scene minutes earlier may have established a major plot point hiding in plain sight — something that changes the Rebellion forever.
Warning! Spoilers ahead for Andor Season 2 Episodes 1-3.
Tay Kolma and Mon Mothma in Andor Season 1.
In Season 1, Mon Mothma’s main objective was fundraising for the Rebellion in secret. She did eventually secure some money with the help of her old friend Tay Kolma, but when she sees him at her daughter’s wedding, it’s clear something is off — his wife has left him, and Rebellion activity has made his investments go sour. He claims that her plans have gone off without a hitch, but he is saddled with the risk, subtly hinting that he may blab to the Empire unless she pays him off. In a panic, Mon Mothma meets with Luthen Rael, and he pushes her to find his price, but she wants to put it off until after the wedding.
When Tay leaves the wedding reception, he finds his normal driver has been replaced by Cinta, the Rebel ally — and Vel’s love interest — who has been on assignment for Luthen since the end of Season 1. She briefly makes eye contact with Vel, and Vel looks concerned, but can’t let her cover slip.
Mon Mothma schemes with Luthen Rael in secret at her daughter’s wedding.
So, what does this all mean for the next arc of Andor? In a twist that’s more Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy twist than classic Star Wars, it seems that Luthen realized Tay was too much of a threat to the Rebellion to simply pay off — he must be eliminated altogether. By assigning Cinta to swap places with Tay’s regular driver, it appears that Luthen has ordered Tay Kolma’s assassination.
Vel is clearly clued into the plan when she locks eyes with Cinta, but Mon Mothma’s behavior makes it appear like she knows what’s going on as well. Realizing she has no control over what Luthen does, she recklessly downs a couple of drinks and starts dancing — an attempt to wash away the blood she now has on her hands, albeit indirectly.
The next chapter of Andor will be set a year later, so we won’t see the immediate aftermath of this event, but the mysterious assassination of a major Chandrilan banker may cause issues for Mon Mothma — and, by extension, the Rebellion — in the future.
