TV Review White Collar "Threads"

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Despite the time being Fashion Week, Pete (Tim DeKay) and Neal (Matt Bomer) have more important things on their minds. Well, one of them does anyway. Leave it to Neal to see models are the first to grab a taxi before the Feds do. When Pete mentions they have someone who needs them, Neal uses his skills to grab the very next cab. Note to self -flash cash at the drivers and they pull over! What a useful tip.

After bringing down the Dutchman ("Pilot"), a new villain awaits capture. His name? The Ghost. Sooner or later, there is going to have to be a female baddie, but two episodes into the season is hardly worth passing judgment just yet. The Ghost is into counterfeiting, but there's a little uncertainty as to exactly how. He is, however, ruthless, which is why the meeting at the office is so critical. Tara is a witness to the Ghost killing someone off, and it scares her so much that she goes immediately to the authorities. When she leaves, Neal comes up with a plan. Throw a party so lavish the Ghost has to show and Tara will make the identification. Of course, FBI personnel are surrounding the area to make sure Tara is kept safe.

Elizabeth (Tiffani Thiessen), Pete's wife, gets involved in the case as well. She's an event planner, so her career is a big help. She shows Pete she stands behind the work he does with a gift of a watch. Something which is "him". There is also no mistaking her determination to make sure everything works out by insisting he be home for dinner.

Mozzie (Willie Garson) has some great scenes as he tries to help Neal find Kate, Neal's longtime girlfriend. Neal is starting to think she left him a message, which security tapes at the jail when she last visited prove. Something ties back into the bottle she left as a goodbye present ("Pilot"), but what? So far, the question has yet to be answered.

Natalie Morales makes her debut this week as Lauren Cruz, an FBI rookie who gets assigned the task of tracking Neal. Morales is supposed to be a series regular, and she has already proven herself to be a worthy addition to the cast. Watch the first time Cruz and Neal meet up. She is already wise to his charm, and is not about to let herself be sucked into his game. The minute she reveals just how mistaken about her identity Neal is, makes for classic television.

James Rebhorn also comes into play as the FBI director. I'm going to assume he heads the White Collar division since he does not handle any other case except the one Pete and Neal are working on. Rebhorn is probably going to be a recurring character, who is not seen each week but often enough to be recognized. He might not like the idea of Neal being part of a government intelligence team, but better with them than working on the opposite side.

Now that the second episode has aired, there has been some work done on the opening credits. Not bad! The actor names are not linked to their pictures, but at least there are only five of them. Matt, Tim, Tiffani, Willie, and Natalie. Marsha Thomason, who plays Diana, should be back before too long. As far as I know, anyway. Usually a cast member who is let go for one reason or another is announced well ahead of time.

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