What Is Going on With Tay Kolma in Andor Season 2?

Some viewers are looking for an explanation for what happens to Tay Kolma in Andor Season 2. This makes sense since the conversations that he has at the wedding with senator Mon Mothma and subsequently her conversations with Luthen Rael are full of intrigue and require some reading between the lines to figure out the reasons behind his fate at the end of Episode 3. His involvement in the funding of The Rebellion in the first season has become a sticking point one year later. Here’s a breakdown of what’s going on with the banker Tay Colma in the second season of Andor. (Warning: Spoilers ahead!)

Why did Tay Kolma have to die in Andor Season 2?

Tay Kolma had to die in Andor Season 2 because, in the eyes of Luthen and eventually Mon Mothma, he had become a liability and a security risk for The Rebellion.

Throughout Leida’s wedding, Tay reveals to Mon that he is facing many challenges. He and his wife, Marni, have recently separated, and he has come to second-guess his dealings with the rebels as he has suffered financial losses due to their activities. After the first night of the wedding, Perrin tells his wife that Tay had too much to drink and needed to be escorted out, revealing the extent of his troubles.

Initially, the senator believes she can save her old school friend, telling Luthen that she will try to “find a number” that will help Tay get through this rough patch. So he backs off from what would be a more permanent solution to the problem. But then the banker makes the mistake of telling Mon that he plans on going around her to meet directly with Davo Sculdun, who had helped the senator effectively launder money to The Rebellion.

By Luthen’s account, Tay has actually been pestering Sculdun since he arrived, meaning that he would open a vulnerability and possible exposure of the Rebellion’s funding. Sensing this, Luthen arranges for Cinta to disguise herself as the driver for Tay and escort him into the distance, where it is presumed that he will be taken out off screen.

Moreover, if Mon decides to give Tay money to recoup his losses, not only would that put her at more risk of being found out during a time when the Empire is cracking down on every financial transaction, but there’s nothing to prevent him from asking for money again in the future. This can easily lead to him extorting them for hush money. His solution to reach out to Sculdun despite the risks to Mon also suggests that his commitment to the Rebellion is based on money and whatever moral leanings he had to the cause is thin by comparison.

In addition, Perrin had heard rumors that Mon and Tay might be having an affair, which would have contributed to his marital struggles. Tay doesn’t say this outright, but he might have unrequited feelings for her. If true, this could end up disrupting her marriage down the road. While this complication isn’t the main reason why he winds up dead, it’s one that’s cleaned up rather neatly.