But if it's right after an almost identicle one (anders) and would get the exact same result i you uses any other character a bait it's not a great trap. It just.....seems like you are just going"this character has fans, the fans would be sad if he betrayed them, don't you see this is brilliant writing and somehow unique to cole!"
Like maybe the scenario you are imagining is somehow a brilliant masterpiece but th scenario you are actually describing just sound like dumb shock for the sake of shock. The scenario in your head is not coming across in your posts.
I don't think it would work for any character. Iron Bull and Vivienne would be the other two party members I'd peg as being good fodder for this sort of thing because the ground work of them doing it is there, where you can look back on the moment and say "Yea, that made complete sense."
That's the clincher for me; if it would make complete sense in retrospect, which a Cole betrayal would.
You do have a point about this coming off the heels of the Anders scenario, though.