For whatever reason, I have a knack for spotting minute details in Homeland screeners. That skill came in handy as I watched an early screener of Season 3, and noticed what seemed like a reference to Mandy Patinkin’s famous line in The Princess Bride scribbled in Carrie Matheson’s notes. She writes, “You killed my son — prepare to die!” I caught up with showrunner Alex Gansa at TCA summer press tour and asked him about the reference for a new Daily Beast item.

Was the Princess Bride reference intentional? “Of course it is!” Homeland executive producer Alex Gansa tells The Daily Beast of its inclusion early in Season 3. “We didn’t expect to use it so prominently. But the fact is that it looks so great, the physical representation of her mania, right there on the page. So there it is, right in front of your eyes.”

Gansa also told me who came up with the idea — and what Patinkin thinks about it.

Revealed: Behind ‘Homeland’s’ Surprising ‘Princess Bride’ Connection

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Well, I’ve never done this before! Today, I did my first quick-turnaround piece for The Daily Beast, as I reacted to today’s Emmy nominations. I focused on the Good (House of Cards, Top of the Lake, Louis CK), the Sad (Tatiana Maslany, The Americans) and the Ugly (The Good Wife). As I wrote about The Good Wife’s snub,

The broadcast networks’ last great hope for Emmy drama recognition fell even further out of favor with voters, as it was unable to claw its way back into the Outstanding Drama category, where it was shut out last year as well. Adding insult to injury, Juilanna Margulies, who won Lead Actress just two years ago, wasn’t nominated either.

I’m glad I had the opportunity to do an Emmy reaction piece, and can only hope that The Americans and Tatiana Maslany make it onto next year’s ballot instead…

Emmy Nomination Surprises and Snubs: House of Cards, Orphan Black and More

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Emmy nominations are coming out Thursday morning, and I made my case at The Daily Beast for why Mandy Patinkin’s name absolutely must be on the supporting actor in a drama ballot, especially after he was criminally overlooked last year.

Included in my five reasons why he must get an Emmy nomination:

Patinkin imbues Saul with a hulking presence that fills entire rooms. Saul may be a man of few words, but Patinkin makes each of them count. Near the end of the Season 2 finale, after a horrifying twist I won’t spoil here, he calls Carrie’s cell phone in a desperate, seemingly futile attempt to locate her. His words are simple. “Carrie, it’s me. I’m looking for you. Please call me back.” But Patinkin packs more desperation and anguish into them than you’d find in a five-minute monologue.

Don’t screw this up again, Emmy voters!

Give Mandy Patinkin an Emmy Nomination for ‘Homeland,’ Already!

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