Another day, another Shondaland TV show that’s got way too many characters and oozes drama. I’m going to be completely honest here: I walked into The Residence not knowing a single thing about it, so I found myself a little bit skeptical when I realized it was a “whodunit” set in the White House. In truth, as a non-local, I’ve never been vested in the historical architectural marvel (I’m not even sure it is one), but what intrigued me about this show is that it never really focuses on the President or the first gentleman (yes, you read that right, the showrunners didn’t expect the election to go the way it did); instead, it brings the story to life through the staff. The foundation of the building, if you will. The centerpiece of this story is the chief usher of the White House, who is found dead on the night of a very important state dinner with some Australian delegates. When he is discovered, chaos erupts, and the best detective in the world, Detective Cornelia Cupp, is assigned the case; the big question is, who killed the usher?
In typical murder mystery format, the show, spanning 8 episodes, hints at different people who may be involved or high up on the suspect list through a series of interviews. While there are way too many characters to keep count of (even them writing their names on paper and getting photographed wasn’t enough for me to remember them all), we’re given enough detail about some of the important characters. The show paints a beautiful picture of the White House itself, which almost becomes another character, one we’re dissecting bit by bit to understand what really went down on this important night. We zoom between a court situation set in the future and the actual day of the crime for added effect. But of course, we never lose track of the one person who has all the answers, yet no answers for us, Cornelia Cupp.
While The Residence falls under the category of the comedy mystery whodunit, much like its contemporaries, The Afterparty, Bad Monkey, or even the movie Knives Out, which it doesn’t miss out on referencing multiple times, what I truly enjoyed about this show is how it turns the trope of a male genius detective around and makes him female. Well, not exactly like that, but Cornelia is just like your Sherlock Holmes or “Hercule Poirot.” I mean, we even see an Agatha Christie book in the show, and a character says she’s afraid of reading because such books “scare her.” But maybe, if the central detective was a woman like herself, she might just have read it and felt like she was a part of the story too? I know I’m clutching at straws here, but hey, a girl can only dream, eh?
Well, not Shonda; she makes it all happen, and the proof is that Cornelia Cupp is the most interesting part of this show. Not the actual mystery, not the guy who died, not even the gay President, just the plain old bird watcher who has the patience and the solitude of a true detective (see what I did there?). Sure, this is not the first time we’ve seen a female detective, but there’s somehow something different about Cupp. Maybe it’s her open disdain for dudes, or maybe it’s that she’s a Black woman specifically. But, nonetheless, she’s deeply entertaining and a memorable character with an interesting personality that will drive you to keep watching the show just to know what her final question will be.
Uzo Adube is Cornelia Cupp; there’s no separating the character from the actress. They’re one in this part, which looks like it must’ve been so much fun to play. Randall Park is great as her almost-sidekick, who happens to be an FBI agent, and their relationship is quite fun. However, if I’m going to be completely honest, for the rest of the characters, they’re practically forgettable. There’s nothing special about them; everyone loves to talk over each other. There are screaming men and yelling men and a (female) chef who likes to shout too. There’s nothing truly striking about them, but I think that’s okay. Unless you really want to solve this mystery based on what you see each of these characters do. For a whodunit, the mystery is pretty great, and I, for one, struggle to pay attention to detail, so for me, this is an easy watch.
For the negatives, I don’t know why all of Netflix’s shows are color graded to look almost greenish. I don’t know what you’re trying to do with this; I mean, it makes sense for a Mike Flanagan with all the supernatural elements, but tell me why a show about the “White” House needs to be green? It’s not like it’s set in the Capitol Wasteland. It all just looks flat and unreal, but why? Where is the vibrance? On the other hand, there’s a bit too much dialogue and just a lot of unnecessary talking, which you might think is important at first, but you know, it all depends on how you’re watching it, I guess. There is a running Hugh Jackman joke that I didn’t particularly enjoy, and I think the series could’ve been wrapped up in 6 episodes with some adjustments to the characters count too. I quite enjoyed the bird stuff though.
Of course, the show is somewhat meta-commentary about staff vs. master, who is the true caretaker of the White House, and just the usual stuff. It’s not anything extraordinary, and it won’t get your cogs turning. At the end of the day though, it’s an entertaining show but one that becomes a little bit tedious nearing the latter half. If you enjoy shows like The Afterparty, there are chances you’ll like this one too. It’s definitely an exciting whodunit, so if you want to simply enjoy the thrill of trying to figure out which of the screaming people did it, then be my guest, because it sure seems fun. But, if you don’t enjoy a lot of talking and want something to just get straight to the point, then this show is certainly not for you. I’ll give The Residence 3 out of 5 stars for its witty detective.
