TheWrap/Showtime

This Sunday, the final season of “Homeland” will finally arrive. Stars Claire Danes and Mandy Patinkin, showrunner Alex Gansa, and a lucky hundred or so of the rest of us got to see it Tuesday at the world premiere, which was held at New York City’s Museum of Modern Art (MoMA).

The after-party played out at the Lobster Club, a few long city blocks over. For a “Homeland” fan, the evening was about as good as Tuesdays get. For so many former “Homeland” stars, it was a homecoming.

Below are a few of our non-spoilery takeaways from the nice-enough February night in Manhattan.

Also Read: 'Homeland': How Carrie Mathison Spends the Final Season in Nick Brody's Shoes

Hey MoMA? Yeah, Couple of Notes

It’s very expensive to park by you. Honestly, that’s on us though.
You seem to have a ton of different entrances on 53rd St. and they all have the same address?
Your red carpet is black. OK, we know that was a (fitting) stylistic choice for the occasion.
We need to talk about how the chairs are numbered in your theater. So, the numbers are on the BACK of the seats — not the chair backs, but the actual rear side of the chair backs — which makes it obviously impossible to see. There’s an argument to be made that one should then refer to the seat number in front of them as their seat number but with staggered and offset chairs, that doesn’t work.

This reporter could write 2,000 obsessive words on note No. 4, but we know you wouldn’t read them. Moving on.

Also Read: 'Homeland' Star Mandy Patinkin Blasts Trump Administration's 'War' With the Intelligence Community

Everybody’s Here! Executive Edition

While the screening and after-party were both pretty intimate affairs, there was still a (proportionally) big number of big names in the house(s).

Showtime CEO David Nevins, who greenlit the series, was there. As were the premium cable channel’s co-presidents of entertainment, Gary Levine and Jana Winograde.

Bert Salke, the president of “Homeland” studio Fox 21 Television Studios, was also in attendance. But the guy who truly turned heads was the president and CEO of the newly recombined ViacomCBS, Bob Bakish. You don’t see that guy out and about so much, but apparently he’s a big fan of the series.

Ahead of the actual Episode 801 unveiling, Nevins made some touching opening remarks and called the event “the hottest ticket in town.” He may not have been overselling its exclusivity.

Also Read: 'Homeland' Final Season: Everyone Thinks Carrie's a Russian Spy in New Trailer (Video)

Going, Going, Gansa

After Nevins spoke, he gave the podium to showrunner Alex Gansa. In his own comments ahead of the final season’s premiere, Gansa got a little ahead of himself — literally, in terms of where the show is headed in its twilight episodes.

Gansa said he and Danes came up with the series’ ending a mere 48 hours before they filmed it. To pull off whatever we end up seeing then required an incredible feat from the production designer, Gansa said. Can’t wait to see that prop.

And yes, Gansa knows Season 8 arrived “a little late” and “a little over budget.” Sorry, Showtime.

Also Read: 'Homeland' Final Season Trailer: Carrie Mathison Is Looking for 'Payback' (Video)

Everybody’s Here! Cast Edition

Current cast members who were in attendance included the aforementioned Danes and Patinkin, as well as Numan Acar, Linus Roache, Costa Ronin, Maury Sterling, Sitara Attaie, Hugh Dancy, Jason Tottenham, Tim Guinee, Andrea Deck and Sam Trammell.

It’s kind of a current cast’s job to show up, though. What seemed like quite a good sign about the show’s familial environment was how many past cast members came back to say goodbye. Those in attendance included Morena Baccarin, Morgan Saylor, Jackson Pace, Dominic Fumusa, Amy Hargreaves, Diego Klattenhoff, Navid Negahban and Morgan Spector.

Along with Gansa, fellow “Homeland” executive producers Howard Gordon, Lesli Linka Glatter and Debora Cahn were there, as was director Michael Cuesta.

At this point, you’re probably wondering if Damian Lewis made it. He did not, and every time we asked somebody about that, they responded with the same bad quip about how it would have cost them “Billions” to get Lewis to show up. Such a Showtime joke.

Rupert Friend was also not at the event.

A fun tidbit about someone who was: Ronin dresses exactly like his “Homeland” baddie character, something this reporter pointed out to the Russian-born Australian actor at the after-party. While we apparently weren’t the first to make that connection to Ronin, according to him, he did credit us for our tax-deductible angle.

Also Read: Showtime Boss on 'Homeland' Final Season Delay: 'We'd Rather Have It Good Than Fast'

Party in the Front, Sushi in the Back

The Lobster Club is a cool place if you’ve never been. It’s even cooler when ViacomCBS is picking up the tab for your scotch and sliders.

While we didn’t get any actual lobster at the Lobster Club, there was a ton of damn good hors d’oeuvres getting passed around. And the party at the crustacean club wasn’t totally fish-less, you just had to search a bit for the sushi. (It was in the back, along with a second bar and some meatballs.)

Check out the cool branded chopsticks as part of our collage above. This attendee isn’t saying whether or not his +1 pocketed a few of those utensils.

“Homeland” Season 8 premieres Sunday at 9 p.m. ET/PT on Showtime.

Super Bowl LIV: The Party Scene From Miami (Photos)

The Kansas City Chiefs were no doubt still partying well into Monday morning after their fourth quarter thriller in Hard Rock Stadium. But long before they took down the San Francisco 49ers, the top names in entertainment and sports hit the party scene in Miami.
The biggest weekend in sports began with tributes to one of the greatest athletes of all time. On Thursday night, DJ Irie, Jamie Foxx and Charles Woodson made an emotional toast to the late Kobe Bryant at the Culinary Kickoff party presented by Intercept Wine.
Jamie Foxx raised a glass in memory of the Black Mamba as he DJed at the fundraising event benefiting the Culinary Institute of America (CIA) to fund culinary students and other local charities.
No one represents football in Miami more than Dolphins veteran QB Dan Marino. And not clothing brand represents the party scene more than Zubaz, so it was natural that the two icons united for a special activation with sports lifestyle brand ’47 ahead of Super Bowl LIV, in celebration of '47's headwear collaboration with Zubaz.
47 Clothing
Zubaz, the iconic zebra print from that Marino rocked in the '90s has since been revived by the NFL's modern day party MVP, Rob Gronkowski. Fans got to customize their ’47 gear ahead of the big game in Miami, and some even wore them to Saturday's Gronk Beach Party.
47 Clothing
Following one of the toughest weeks of his life in the wake of Kobe Bryant's death, Shaquille O'Neal still managed to bring his giant-sized personality to Shaq's Fun House on Friday night. The NBA legend also threw the biggest tribute of the weekend to his former teammate. As Bryant's No. 24 jersey floated on stage, Shaq played a video montage of their many special moments together. All proceeds from the event will be donated to the Kobe and Vanessa Bryant Foundation and all victims of the recent tragedy.
Pitbull also paid his respects by starting a "Kobe" chant to kick off his set at Shaq's Fun House. Next up, P. Diddy took to the stage and dedicated “I’ll Be Missing You" to Bryant.
Rob Gronkowski and Miami are a match made in party heaven, and the funnest guy in football pulled out all the stops for his inaugural Gronk Beach Party on Saturday afternoon. The beach bash of the century featured performances by Rick Ross, Diplo, Kaskade, Flo Rida and Carnage, as the three-time Super Bowl champion lit up the stage with a little help from his brothers, dad (a.k.a. Papa Gronk) and 69 of his closest friends.
Who says Bill Belichick doesn't know how to have fun? The Patriots coach took advantage of not having to work on Super Bowl weekend by getting down with his former tight end at Gronk Beach. The pair were joined by WWE chief brand officer Stephanie McMahon (who is a diehard Patriots fan), Triple H, Mojo Rawley and Sports Illustrated model, Camille Kostek.
Music producer and EDM DJ 3Lau (real name Justin Blau) clearly had a blast supporting his good friend and party partner Gronk as he played a killer set during the beach fest.
Gronk wasn't gonna let a little storm rain on his parade. The big fella took advantage of not having to play in Sunday's game by keeping Saturday's party going strong for as long as possible.
Lady Gaga made the entrance of the weekend when she descended from the rafters of the specially constructed Meridian at Island Gardens for her headline performance at AT&T TV Super Saturday Night.
Getty
Rob Lowe, Jamie Foxx, Paul Rudd, Adriana Lima, Jeremy Renner, Jon Hamm, Nathalie Emmanuel and Sage Steele were among the stars at the most sought after concert of Super Bowl weekend.
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As usual, Maxim pulled out the big guns for their annual Big Game Experience on Saturday night. The Chainsmokers headlined the star-filled bash that included Victor Cruz, Odell Beckham Jr., Antonio Brown, NeNe Leakes, Jake Paul, Tana Mongeau and Cuba Gooding Jr.
Latin duo MYA epitomized the Havana Nights-themed Maxim party that was hosted by In the Know Experiences and in collaboration with Columbia Records.
Rapper Megan Thee Stallion strutted her stuff on stage for the hot Maxim crowd that filled the specially built 40,000 square foot event space on Key Biscayne.
Getty for Maxim
New York Yankees legend Derek Jeter amped up the cool factor when he was honored by Excel Sports Management at an exclusive event on Friday. Nate Burleson hosted a chalk talk with Jeter, highlighting his historic career and his new endeavors in Miami. All proceeds from the event benefited the Turn 2 Foundation, which Jeter founded back in 1996 to motivate young people to turn away from drugs and alcohol.
Excel Sports Management
Newly inducted Hall of Famer Derek Jeter and fellow guests arrived via yacht to a mansion on Star Island for the Excel Sports Management event, where illusionist David Blaine brought a real dose of magic to the night.
Excel Sports Management
NFL Hall of Fame duo and former San Francisco 49ers stars Steve Young and Jerry Rice unveiled their sixth “8 to 80 Zone” on behalf of The Forever Young Foundation and in partnership with the YWCA of Greater Miami-Dade, Inc. on Saturday, Feb. 1 in Miami. The “8 to 80 Zone” facility is a free resource within the YWCA of Greater Miami-Dade, Inc. for Miami area students exploring esports, production, and game development careers or who want to learn and compete with their peers locally and across the globe.
The Forever Young Foundation
Young and Rice, who collectively earned 20 Pro Bowl honors over their storied careers, cut the ribbon surrounded by supporters for the "8 to 80 Zone," which was received grants from the NFL Foundation as part of the NFL’s Inspire Change initiative.
The Forever Young Foundation
DJ Irie was one of many performers to pay tribute to Kobe Bryant over Super Bowl LIV weekend, taking a coveted No. 24 jersey on stage with him at the Sports Illustrated the Party brought by the Undisputed Group on Saturday night.
Sports Illustrated The Party Brought To You By The Undisputed Group
Purple and gold were the colors to be seen wearing over Super Bowl LIV weekend, as even the mysterious Marshmello rocked a Lakers jersey as he headline the Sports Illustrated the Party at the Fontainebleau Hotel on Saturday night. Paul McCartney, Elon Musk, Lil Jon, Wiz Khalifa, Terrell Owens, Joe Montana, Jerry Rice and Saquon Barkley were among the A-list names partying by the pool or in the Casamigos VIP area.
Sports Illustrated The Party Brought To You By The Undisputed Group
Former San Diego Chargers player Shawne Merriman did the rounds of the party circuit in Miami, stopping in at the Sports Illustrated the Party at the Fontainebleau on Super Bowl eve.
Sports Illustrated The Party Brought To You By The Undisputed Group
The Players' Tailgate adjacent to Hard Rock Stadium was the place to be on Sunday afternoon before heading into the big game. Where else can you get BBQ sandwiches personally served from celebrity chef Guy Fieri? Proceeds from the event benefitted the Irie Foundation and Operation BBQ Relief, which provides emergency meals during times of crisis.
Jeff Lewis/AP Images for The Players Tailgate
ESPN host and Indiana native Sage Steele chatted on stage with Indianapolis Colts linebacker Darius Leonard at the Players' Tailgate on Sunday afternoon. The "SportsCenter" host admitted she was still a little bias towards her hometown team.
Jeff Lewis/AP Images for The Players Tailgate
Members of the Operation Warrior Wishes displayed their team colors at the Players' Tailgate 2020 Miami by Bullseye Event Group on Sunday afternoon.
Jeff Lewis/AP Images for The Players Tailgate
Event host Sage Steele kept a tight hold of Charles Woodson's Intercept wine at the Players' Tailgate. With guests like Julian Edelman, Danny Amendola, Chad Johnson and WWE's Mojo Rawley in the crowd, who can blame her?
Jeff Lewis/AP Images for The Players Tailgate
After playing in the Super Bowl last year, Los Angeles Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald got to attend the VIP events this time around. On Friday, Donald (pictured here with Adam Lefkoe) was part of a Q&A at the Thuzio Party at Paramount Miami Worldcenter.
Thuzio
Former New York Giants running back Tiki Barber posed with Thuzio co-founder Jared Augustine at their 2020 event, which was headlined by Hall of Famer and Super Bowl champion, Steve Young.
Thuzio
While the weather was less than desirable, that didn't keep the cool kids away from Friday night’s Bootsy on the Water (where added water also fell from the sky courtesy of a violent Florida storm). Post Malone headlined the bash at Key Biscayne, with backup from Super Bowl MVP Von Miller (a.k.a. DJ Sauce Von the Don), DJ Zack Bia, DJ Irie, Fred Matters and Devin Lucien.
Getty Images for In the Know
Cleveland Brown QB and former No. 1 draft pick Baker Mayfield attended the Bootsy party with Emily Wilkinson, while Browns teammate Odell Beckham Jnr. was also spotted in the crowd.
Getty Images for In the Know
Katie Kansas brought a colorful crew of neon-clad girlfriends to the Bootsy on the Water, which was put on by the h.wood Group, In the Know Experiences and The Network Advisory.
Getty Images for In the Know

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Lady Gaga proves she knows how to make an entrance, Shaq pays tribute to Kobe, and Gronk just came to party

The Kansas City Chiefs were no doubt still partying well into Monday morning after their fourth quarter thriller in Hard Rock Stadium. But long before they took down the San Francisco 49ers, the top names in entertainment and sports hit the party scene in Miami.

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