Showtime’s Homeland Kicks Off Emmy Season With FYC Panel

Showtime kicked off Emmys Season with a screening of Homeland for Television Academy members in Hollywood’s NeueHouse by airing the penultimate episode and teasing the first five minutes of the season finale.

Lesli Linka Glatter, Alex Gansa and cast members Claire Danes, Mandy Patinkin, Rupert Friend, and Elizabeth Marvel were all in attendance for a lively panel on how the fictitious show is eerily mirroring reality.

This season, the show pushed its premiere from September to January to coincide with the presidential inauguration. However, the show much like the rest of us had expected we would be ushering in a female president and not Trump. Showrunner and Producer Alex Gansa said, “The election of Donald Trump made everyone in the writers’ room sit up in our chairs. We realized we were going to have to adjust and change the narrative a little bit.” Talking about the writing process, Gansa said, “We tried to imagine an event that had yet to occur and that is tricky.”

Glatter said, “At one point, we were writing scripts with real events happening.” She said it was around episode 5 or 6 that, “we changed the narrative. Our election was influenced by another force and we re-engineered earlier episodes and re-shot some.” She said referring to a scene in an early episode of the season.

Gansa also talked about the decision for the show being moved back to New York. He said, “We wanted to come home and New York City was relevant. It was where a traumatic event had occurred and where so much was born.” He added, “It was fruitful for us to go back to the origins of the show.”

Elizabeth Marvel is no stranger to the fictitious world of politics having played Heather Dunbar in House Of Cards, said her character Elizabeth Keane, contrary to popular belief, is not based on Hillary Clinton, but, “a blend of George W. and Shirley Chisholm.” Marvel added what she found so interesting and appealing about her character was that Keane’s relationship to the office is, “She is there to be of service.” Like Chisholm, she found Bobby Kennedy who was “someone who had a vision and a mission in a way that Elizabeth Keane does. She’s a woman who can’t be prepared for the tsunami that is that office.”

Danes talked about her character who was lauded as being a rare female protagonist who’s story wasn’t driven by romance or a love interest. “She has deep, complex attachments to these primary characters. But that’s one of the great gifts of this role. She is so much bigger than her gender. She is defined by her ethics, morals, political ambition, and there’s just so much at play.”

Patinkin received a huge round of applause when he talked about refugees and how his work with Homeland and working in DC, he has met so many people. He talked about the vetting process and how politicians create fear and terror. “They make this community the enemy because it’s the oldest trick in the book. If you elect me, I will keep you safe.” He added, “The vetting process is the gold standard around the world and far better than the rest of the world, and not a single terrorist incident has taken place in the United States since 1975 by a refugee.” He also talked about how Homeland’s incorporation of Fake news and the truth were two of the greatest characters the show has created. “They rose to the top of our system. They scream at us with images that are overwhelming. This business of lies affects real people. It’s not just a game and a joke on CNN to entertain us, to bore us, or to make us furious. They really affect people’s lives.”

Danes has been nominated for an Emmy for every season of Homeland. Expect her to continue that streak with a nomination for Best Lead Actress for her work this season. Rupert Friend will be campaigned in the Best Lead Actor category.

The Television Academy members and press in attendance were treated to five minutes of this Sunday’s finale, and the audience were left wanting more.