'Elementary' star Lucy Liu previews heated Joan and Sherlock moment

These days, Lucy Liu is just as comfortable behind the camera as she is in front of it at CBS's Elementary. 

After several turns in the director's chair -- including a gig on USA's Graceland -- she stepped in once again to helm Sunday's episode "Turn It Upside Down," an hour she describes as one that focuses "on the emotional undertones of the characters rather than the procedural aspect of a case." 

"It always gives a freedom to the actors, allowing them to lead the scenes and giving them a sense of trust that their process and their performance outshine anything else that could be happening with lighting or anything else that is technically involved," she says of this type of episode. "My priority is always performance over anything else." 

Below, Liu, who confirms she's been asked to direct another episode next season, takes us inside her personal notes from one particular scene, in which Sherlock (Jonny Lee Miller) and Joan (Liu) butt heads over a matter involving Sherlock's father, Morland (John Noble). 

"I find that the first reading of a script for me always helps conduct what is the truest and the most instinctual reaction, emotionally and even visually for what will be the final result," Liu says. "These are notes I make and transfer to the newer drafts. I keep technical and emotional notes together -- especially when you only have eight days to film something. I don’t waste time on wide shots etc. … If I know the most important thing in the scene is for the audience to connect to this character in this very moment, I will sometimes forgo a master all together and just shoot close ups or extreme close ups. This keeps the scenes fresh for them and also helps them move through the day with more energy." 

Take a look at her notes below, and watch the final scene above. 

Elementary airs Sundays on CBS. 

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