Lucy Liu Shares Her Fave ‘Elementary’ Episodes Ahead of the Final Season
Premiere
As Elementary begins its seventh and final season, the modern-day Sherlock Holmes and Joan Watson (Jonny Lee Miller and Lucy Liu) are still in London, sleuthing for Scotland Yard. (His fake murder confession last season — to clear innocent Watson — forced him to leave NYC.)
When a member of their inner circle in the U.S. is gravely wounded, the duo must figure out how to get Holmes back there. While fans can look forward to a reunion with Det. Marcus Bell (Jon Michael Hill, above right, on a future case with Miller and Liu), we asked Liu to look back at a few of her favorite episodes (available on Hulu and Amazon Video).
“Step Nine” (Season 2, Episode 1)
Sherlock and Joan go to London to help his old pal Inspector Lestrade (Sean Pertwee). Liu remembers filming while the city awaited Prince George’s birth — the episode’s rail station location could have been shut down at any moment due to its proximity to Kate Middleton’s hospital: “There were [already] souvenirs of them in every shop!”
“Paint It Black” (Season 2, Episode 22)
Liu directed this episode, in which Watson is kidnapped by mobsters. She recalls Miller and Rhys Ifans (as Sherlock’s brother, Mycroft) being wonderfully intense — and then hilarious between takes, joking about craft services being better in the States than in the U.K.: “That day, we happened to have a lobster roll truck!”
(Jeff Neira/CBS)
“The Past Is Parent” (Season 4, Episode 1)
As Sherlock suffers the consequences of his heroin relapse, his devious father, Morland (John Noble), makes his first appearance: “Working with John always elevated your performance,” gushes Liu, adding, “He was always so sweet and engaging to my son — a true gentleman.”
“Give Me the Finger” (Season 6, Episode 6)
Miller’s direction of this hour, involving Japanese gangsters, a missing prosthetic finger, and nuclear secrets, impressed Liu. As did its sumo wrestlers: “Seeing them just hang out on the sofa, relaxing between setups, was truly a sight you don’t see every day!”
Elementary, Season 7 Premiere, Thursday, May 23, 10/9c, CBS
