Will we see more of Tay Kolma in Andor Season 2? Speculations explored

Andor Season 2 is finally out, and now we know what happens in the first three episodes of the season. While viewers were hoping that things would be better for the protagonists, each and every one of them is put through the wringer one year after the events of the Season 1 finale. This ultimately culminates in not one but two deaths at the end of the third episode.

Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers. Reader discretion is advised.

The second death is implied rather than shown, though—that of Tay Kolma, played by British actor Ben Miles. A major event taking place throughout the first three episodes of this season of Andor is the wedding of Mon Mothma's daughter Leida and Stekan, the son of oligarch Davo Sculdun. The first three episodes of Andor Season 2 reveal that Tay is going through a hard time.

He had previously helped Mon Mothma make her account look clean in the first season when the Empire froze everyone's accounts. But now, as Tay has fallen on hard times, he is asking for a bribe for his loyalty, which Mon Mothma informs Luthen Rael about. Both realize that Tay was becoming a liability. Mothma wants to give in to Tay's demands, but Luthen suggests a more permanent solution.

Thus, he has Cinta, one of his rebels, pose as Tay's driver. While we don't see him getting killed, the implication from the episode is clear that Tay died off-screen, ending Ben Miles' tenure in the Disney+ solo series.

Who is Tay Kolma in Andor Season 2?

As stated before, Tay Kolma was introduced in the first season as a successful banker who was sympathetic to Mon Mothma's anti-Empire sentiments. When Mon Mothma comes to him because her account is missing a significant amount, because she funds the rebels, Kolma suggests she set up a fake charity foundation with the help of the wealthy Davo Sculdun.

Sculdun wants one thing in return: He wants Mon Mothma's daughter Leida to be betrothed to his son Stekan. While Mon Mothma is opposed to this arrangement, Leida goes ahead with this. Now, a year later, things are fine for Mon Mothma during the events of Andor Season 2. But Tay isn't doing that good both professionally and personally. He and his wife have separated, and businesses are also affected.

Thus, in this wedding reception, he asks Mon Mothma for a bribe in return for his silence. Mothma reveals this to Luthen, who is also at the wedding to deliver an antique. Later, both learn that Tay is growing close to Davo Sculdun, and to keep Tay from revealing Mon Mothma's affiliation with the rebels, Luthen suggests a more "permanent solution".

Mon Mothma, realizing what Luthen meant, is taken aback and begins to consume the drinks and releases her sorrow on the dance floor.

Tony Gilroy breaks down Mon Mothma's dance moment

Given what we see unfold in the first three episodes of Andor Season 2, the strategy of releasing three episodes together seems like a prudent decision. We can see the screws tightening slowly over Mon Mothma over the three episodes. She can see that her daughter is throwing her life away by marrying into a shady family.

Mon Mothma even tries to talk her daughter out of this marriage in the second episode of Andor Season 2, Sagrona Teema. But her daughter unpleasantly rebuffs her and goes through the ceremony anyway. Tony Gilroy had this to say regarding the moment between Mothma and her daughter, in an interview with Entertainment Weekly after the release of the first three episodes:

“The wedding is just a disaster for her. I mean, she tries to tell her daughter that she doesn't have to go through with this, and you see what happens there. That's a kick in the face. And then my God, Tay Kolma is Fredo!”

Gilroy revealed that the one-year gap between the Season 1 finale and the first three episodes of Season 2 helped him and the writers to move Tay to this new ground:

“Tay Kolma slipped off the grid in all that time. He's not the guy you thought he was. Now he's a problem, and she has to understand that she's about to assassinate her childhood friend to save her a**. Man, oh man, if you don't need a drink!”

The showrunner went on to speak about Mon Mothma's drunk and vulnerable moment in the third episode, saying:

“I mean, the dance floor is a place for her to just get…. She's just escaping. She's deranged on that dance floor. She's deranged. She's completely undone.”

Trending

The first three episodes of Andor Season 2 are available to stream on Disney+. The next three will be accessible on the streaming platform next Tuesday.

×

Was this article helpful?

Thank You for feedback