It's Sunday night, freezing, and most major industry businesses are about to creak back to full power the next morning after a long holiday break — the perfect time for a champagne jumpstart to this first of many awards weeks to come.
As Golden Globe nominee Connie Britton ('Nashville") caught up with Kate Bosworth over Brancott Estate wines on the patio at Cecconi's, "Homeland's" late Abu Nasir (Navid Neghaban) could barely polish off tiramisu at his corner table without interruption, infinitely more popular than he was at the same Audi Golden Globes kickoff party exactly a year ago.
A few feet away, Naomi Watts and Liev Schreiber had a reserved table near Britton, illustrating the celebratory rally of both the TV and film worlds to come this week.