Sept. 25, 2013
Update
OK, well, that was rather anti-climatic. Not only were there very few scenes of Lucy Liu wearing sheer nude pantyhose during tonight’s Season 2 premiere episode of Elementary, but no real great camera views.
Nevertheless, it doesn’t change the fact that Lucy Liu actually did wear sheer nude pantyhose for (the first time ever on the show?), and at least we have the still shots to enjoy what we didn’t get to see enough of during the actual episode.
Original post — Tuesday Sept. 24, 2013:
I know that at least some of you are like me (so sorry for that) in that you make decisions about which movies or TV shows you watch based on the likelihood of the female lead character wearing pantyhose.
Actress Lucy Liu on the set of Elementary Aug. 21, 2012 in New York.
Being a huge Lucy Liu fan, I have tried to watch the CBS reimagined Sherlock Holmes TV drama series, Elementary, in which she plays Dr. Joan Watson — a sober companion-turned-apprentice-detective to Holmes.
While I love Lucy Liu and think she’s a fine actress, I haven’t been able to stick with Elementary for two reasons:
First, she has too much of a backseat role for my liking; Second, I don’t care for her wardrobe (usually, some fluffy skirt, with ankle booties and thick, dark tights; sometimes, slightly not as thick and lighter-colored tights, but always the tights). Tights! Tights! Always, the tights.
This also appears to be Lucy Liu’s preferred real-life look — or worse, not with the tights even, as she all-too-often does the “bear” legs thing.
That’s a shame because when she occasionally dresses elegantly, and when she extremely rarely wears sheer pantyhose, Lucy Liu looks absolutely spectacular.
Sheer miracle
Now, something earth-shattering is about to happen. In this Thursday’s (Sept. 26) Season 2, Episode 1 premiere of Elementary at 10 p.m. on CBS, Dr. Watson is going to be wearing a fluffy dress, those goofy ankle booties and … wait for it … SHEER NUDE PANTYHOSE.
In the episode, “Step Nine:” Holmes and Watson travel to London to help a former mentor of Holmes’ investigate an unsolved mystery.
- Lucy Liu as Dr. Joan Watson appears on the set of Elementary in London, wearing sheer nude pantyhose.
Now, since the show is on Thursday, I don’t know the details, but I was fortunate enough to find some pics from the scenes, which were shot last month. It’s a bit confusing because Watson is wearing two similar-looking outfits, one in New York, where the show is set, and the other during the London scenes.


During the scenes shot in NY, Watson is “bear”-legged, but while in London, she wears sheer nude pantyhose. Hmmmmm.
- Two things here: First, most of the outfits Watson wears at least include tights, so why she appears out in the streets of NY in bear legs actually surprises me; Second, the fact that she wears pantyhose while in London is very interesting.
Is this a sign of respect directed toward Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, while on Kate’s turf?
After all, it was Kate Middleton who almost single-handedly brought back, not only pantyhose, but more specifically, sheer nude or suntan pantyhose, to mostly the whole world. (Thanks again for that, Kate.)
And if this is a sign of respect, was it the decision of the costume designer of Elementary, or was it Lucy Liu’s decision or suggestion herself?
Either way, I’m happy, but I’d like to think that Lucy Liu wanted to wear sheer nude pantyhose.
Again, since we won’t see the show until Thursday, I don’t know how the bear legs outfit and the sheer nude pantyhose outfit are worn during the same episode.
It sounds as if the show begins with Holmes and Watson traveling to London, so I don’t know whether the NY scenes come up first, or if it is after the characters’ return home, or perhaps, the NY scenes are in the following week.
Either way, it appears that the photos from both NY and London were shot around the same time last month. Well, we’ll see, but the thing that is particularly significant here is that this episode, or episodes will serve as a wonderful compare/contrast deal.
To actually have the opportunity of the whole Elementary-viewing public to see for themselves and compare/contrast Watson’s bear legs with pantyhose-adorned legs in one episode (or two), is fantastic.
Lucy Liu’s pantyhose-graced legs during Elementary last month in London. Lucy Liu’s bare legs on the set of Elementary last month in New York.And what a tremendous difference there is.
- When I wrote earlier that I want it to have been Lucy Liu’s decision that she wear pantyhose for the London scenes, it’s because I hope that she didn’t care much for the way her legs look in the NY scenes. Do you realize the significance of that?
How many times have you read my words on this blog, expressing my dismay at how a celebrity could see herself on camera after going bear-legged and not say to herself afterward: “What was I thinking?”
Whether that happened in Lucy Liu’s case or not, Elementary has just gotten a great deal more interesting and appealing to me.
OK, I feel some of you slipping away. What’s the big deal whether she wears pantyhose or not, you ask?
Listen, I love Lucy Liu. I think she is an incredibly beautiful lady. And I think she’s beautiful whether she’s wearing pantyhose or not.
But look at this picture (right) from Thursday night’s episode. Lucy Liu as Dr. Watson is heading to a confrontation with a suspected bad guy.
Check out those legs.
I adore Lucy Liu, and I think she’s got some world-class legs.
But, after seeing this picture of herself, do you really believe Lucy Liu would be happy with how she looked in this short a skirt … and bear legs?
It doesn’t mean she’s not still beautiful. It doesn’t mean she isn’t a wonderful actress and a great person.
But being honest, you have to admit her legs look a great deal more spectacular in this picture (left) from the same episode … only in sheer nude pantyhose.
So for those who wonder why it matters, this is why: Do you think Lucy Liu would go without makeup during a TV episode or a movie?
I doubt it. She’s a superstar. She’s always going to present herself in the best possible light.
And, just as makeup can improve every actor’s face, sheer pantyhose can enhance the beauty of every girl’s legs.
I’m not saying Lucy Liu should never go bear-legged. I am saying that when she wears sheer nude (or any skin tone shade) pantyhose, she goes from beautiful to incredibly amazing. That’s all.
Make a difference
Now, here’s where you come in. Here’s your homework assignment. Whether you’re a Lucy Liu fan or not; whether you like Elementary or not, you should tune in Thursday at 10 p.m. on CBS and watch this episode.
Let’s make the ratings skyrocket at least for this episode. Will that make a difference? Would anyone associated with the show realize that people watched because Dr. Watson finally wears sheer nude pantyhose on Elementary? Probably not, but it couldn’t hurt.
Maybe those of you who are Internet savvy will write in to the show, lauding Lucy Liu’s and/or the costume designer’s decision to dress Watson this way.
If nothing else, the sharp contrast between Lucy Liu’s bear legs and pantyhose-graced legs will be permanently preserved on film print for critical scrutiny. If anyone really cares. I do, and I know you do, too.
In one of my polls: “Which Asian actress do you most want to see wearing pantyhose?” you chose Lucy Liu by a significant margin.
As of this writing, of the 45 votes you cast, 17 were for Lucy Liu (38%). The next highest vote-getters were Tia Carrere with 10 (22%), followed by Zhang Ziyi (my personal favorite) with 9 (20%). And the field included some other very impressive candidates.
Actually, I’m shocked that Gong Li got no votes. She looks amazing in pantyhose, but sadly, you won’t find many pics of her in them. One exception is in her role in the “Miami Vice” movie.
In any event, at least for one episode of Elementary, we get to see Lucy Liu in sheer nude pantyhose, and suddenly, all seems right in the world. I hope it leads to many more episodes in which she dresses this way.