It has been a very long time since I have enjoyed a new Netflix project like “The Residence”. I feel like Netflix has just been adding to TV shows that should have ended a whole season ago (I’m talking to you “Outer Banks” and “Stranger Things”), so I was very surprised when I saw this new murder mystery series that I actually had some interest in.
“The Residence” is an 8-episode series that takes place the night of a state dinner at the White House. Now, it’s not what you’re thinking: the President is alive and well, and it’s actually the head usher of the White House, A.B. Wynter, who gets murdered.
Don’t get me wrong, I always love a good murder mystery, but sometimes they can get a little repetitive. Oh, you think it’s the person who was caught hiding the weapon, but they were secretly framed by the person you were suspecting, but weren’t too sure about. The Residence somewhat follows that same format, but there are some things that set it apart from others.
Starting off, the lead character Cordelia Cupp, played by Uzo Aduba — known for her role as Suzanne Warren in Orange is the New Black — is not only amazingly detail-oriented but also very sarcastic and witty. The way she knows that she is the smartest person in the room makes her character so funny and entertaining to watch, especially when she is bossing around major political leaders like the Prime Minister of Australia or the President of the U.S.
She also has this obsession with birds, which she uses as a way to explain her investigation process. It doesn’t matter if it’s 2:30 in the morning and the President is waiting on her, she will go outside to look for birds with her trusty pair of binoculars.
Speaking of unusual attributes, let’s talk about the interesting choice to have the head usher die and not the president, as one might expect. Not many people think of the White House as an actual home, but that is what this show opens viewers to. A.B Wynter had to take care of everything from planning parties to making sure the hot water was up to standard in the showers, from decorating the State Ballroom to overseeing the food served to the President.
The death of the head usher opens the door to the perspective of the White House residence staff, hence the title of the show. Each episode is told through flashbacks of a different staff member explaining everything they saw that night and explaining all the prior context that is needed for Cupp to put the puzzle together.
We get to see the fascinating side of what it is like to work as a butler or a chef or an electrician in the White House, which is something most people wouldn’t think of.
The way the story builds with each witness makes you want to watch this in one sitting, which I did (100% worth it). You will truly realize that the night of the murder was truly insane and chaotic, which makes it all the more captivating. Every character has a little quirkiness that helps you understand a deeper side to them and the story.
I would absolutely recommend this TV show to anyone. The whole murder mystery part keeps you interested and on the edge of your seat, while you continue to thoroughly enjoy the development of the characters and light-hearted comedy that takes the tension off the whole death situation.
