Claire Danes walked into the Museum of Modern Art for the eighth and final season premiere of “Homeland” on Tuesday, in a glamorous one-armed, leopard-print gown by Erdem.
It was not something her C.I.A.-operative character, Carrie Mathison, would have worn. But it was a practical choice for a humid, midwinter evening of 55 degrees, which had everyone muttering “global warming.”
“I know, right?” Ms. Danes said, her expression equal parts smile and grimace. “I hope we’re going to be okay.”
Behind her, the red carpet filled with past and present co-stars including Costa Ronin, Jason Tottenham, Morena Baccarin, Dominic Fumusa, Diego Klattenhoff, Sitara Attaie and Morgan Spector (with Rebecca Hall, his wife), as well as David Nevins, the Showtime chief executive.
Like Ms. Danes and Mandy Patinkin, Maury Sterling (who plays Max, Carrie’s go-to I.T. guy) is one of the few actors to appear in all eight seasons. Could he recall a memorable moment?
“Finally getting the nerve to ask Mandy what it was like to be in ‘The Princess Bride’ was one of the greatest moments of my life,” he said. “It took me six years to finally ask, I was so nervous.”
And how did Mr. Patinkin react? “He loved it.”
Lesli Linka Glatter, a director and executive producer, admitted she also quizzed Mr. Patinkin about his turn as Inigo Montoya (catchphrase: “You killed my father. Prepare to die.”) in the 1987 comedy. “I was a little like, ‘Should I bring this up?’” she said. “But definitely I asked all the questions, I was so in awe.”
Mr. Patinkin chuckled to think his colleagues were shy to mention the role. “It never happens to me that people are too embarrassed to ask, and I don’t remember them being too embarrassed,” he said. “But I love talking about it.”
After a screening of the season’s first episode, guests repaired to the nearby Lobster Club to sup on buffets of sushi and pasta. A D.J. played in front of a mock airport departures board featuring show-themed destinations like Rome, Berlin and Baghdad.
Ms. Danes mingled alongside her husband, Hugh Dancy. During the show, had she ever asked Mr. Patinkin about his role in “The Princess Bride”?
“No, I never really did,” she said. “I adore Mandy, but I saw everybody else start going in and asking him the questions …” and her voice trailed off, diplomatically.
A Toast to Writers
Awards fatigue was starting to set in at the Writers Guild of America Awards, held Saturday night at the Edison Ballroom in Times Square, with a concurrent ceremony in Los Angeles.
“Physically, it’s very demanding, but mentally and artistically I’m having a lot of fun,” said Bong Joon Ho, who took home the night’s top prize (best original screenplay) for his South Korean black comedy “Parasite.”
He was joined on the red carpet by fellow writers Greta Gerwig (who was nominated “Little Women”), Noah Baumbach (“Marriage Story”), Rian Johnson (“Knives Out”) and Taika Waititi (who won for adapted screenplay for “Jojo Rabbit”).
All five left early to catch flights for London, where they competed the next night at the BAFTA awards, as they will again this weekend at the Oscars.
Mr. Bong’s acceptance speech, heaping praise on his fellow nominees, was a highlight of the two-and-a-half-hour ceremony. The night’s presenters included Kevin Bacon, Samantha Bee, Jimmy Fallon, Amy Poehler, Dominique Jackson, Sunny Hostin, Sam Heughan and Natasha Lyonne.
The crowd also included Chloë Sevigny, Tina Fey and Rachel Dratch, as well as Paula Pell and Richard Price, who received honorary awards.
The ceremony was hosted by John Fugelsang, the actor and comedian, who at times struggled to connect with his material. Some jokes baffled the audience. He compared the impeachment trial to Ingmar Bergman making the “Star Wars” prequels. “It’s sad,” he said.
Other jokes fared only marginally better. “I’m Irish-Danish-German,” he said, “which means I get drunk, hide the Jews, and look for them.”
Some in the room were tipsy enough not to care, including one of the presenters. Sienna Miller, who took the stage around 10:30 p.m. to hand out the final award, said she was completely inebriated, adding, “But I feel like writers drink, and so it’s going to be all right.”
