Jeri Ryan showed up on last week's summer finale of Leverage as the character of Tara Carlisle, an alleged lawyer that was eventually revealed to be a fellow con.

"Part of the fun of Leverage in general is in the twists and turns and surprises, and this one definitely had that payoff," the actress told TV Guide.

In the closing moments of the episode, it was revealed that Sophie sent Tara to her colleagues for assistance. This kicks off an extended arc on the show for Ryan; she'll appear in all six winter episodes of Leverage.

"They have a hard time accepting Tara into the group," she said. "Obviously they miss Sophie, and they're not sure what's going on without her. They're a little off-balance, I think."

But that will soon change. Added Ryan:

"Tara earns their respec. They grudgingly accept her at first, until they realize that she does deserve to be there because she is just as talented as they are."

No air date has been announced yet for Leverage's return to TNT later this year.

Matt Richenthal is the Editor in Chief of TV Fanatic. Follow him on Twitter and on Google+.