This post contains spoilers from The Residence episode 1 from this point forward.
Welcome to the whimsically humorous world of The Residence, Netflix's murder mystery series that takes place in the White House. From Grey's Anatomy and Bridgerton mastermind Shonda Rhimes, the series stars Orange Is the New Black star and Emmy winner Uzo Aduba as the eccentric but world renown detective Cordelia Cupp. She's almost as excited about figuring out whodunnit as she is about seeing all the birds the White House grounds have to offer.
In episode 1, we learn that the White House's chief usher A.B. Wynter (Giancarlo Esposito) has been found dead by the president's mother-in-law Nan (Jane Curtin), and even though the president's chief adviser Harry Hollinger (Ken Marin) wants to quickly rule the death a suicide given the cuts on his wrists, Cordelia knowns there's much more to the story. The death happened during a state dinner with the Australians when nearly 200 people were in attendance at the residence.
The Residence names its first episode "The Fall of the House of Usher" after the fellow Netflix series of the same name and features a running throughline of the staff being questioned months later by a congressional committee. We're getting multiple perspectives through multiple timelines, so it's a lot to keep track of, but the series and its colorful characters pull you in. Who killed A.B. Wynter? That's the question that's up for debate, and Cordelia starts her search for answers.
A.B. Wynter dies and everyone's a suspect
First up to bat, we meet Jasmine Haney (Susan Kelechi Watson), the assistant usher of the White House turned the chief usher following A.B.'s death. She seems to have some motive for wanting to kill A.B. since she was prepared to finally become chief usher with A.B.'s imminent retirement. However, he abruptly informed her that he wouldn't be retiring "for a least a couple of years." Hmmmm, interesting.
When Cordelia makes her initial assessment of the crime scene, she picks up on a few clues someone might miss: condensation from a glass on the pool table, the glass by the window, the blue cue chalk on the ground, and other things Hollinger wouldn't clock in his insistence to call it a suicide and move on. Cordelia questions Jasmine, but she's not personally on the radar for A.B.'s murder. Hollinger looks suspicious, but is he too obvious?
Cordelia inspects A.B.'s body and finds blood on his shirt (that's not his shirt), keys in his pocket, and a possible suicide note in his jacket. But Cordelia noted some things about his body that rule out a suicide, including possible ingestion of poison, inconsistencies with the cuts on his wrists, and no knife being near the body. Jasmine takes Cupp and the FBI's Edwin Park (Randall Park) on a tour before heading down to the dinner for Cordelia to scope things out amid the crowd.
The White House's social secretary Lilly Schumacher (Molly Griggs) meets Cordelia next as she checks out the guests during Kylie Minogue's performance. She's starting to bank some clues, even learning that Jasmine (and lots of other people) has access to the third floor. In A.B.'s office, they find Hollinger searching for political documents. She kicks him out and finds a bloodied handkerchief in the trash. Cordelia wants to shut down the White House and talk to everyone.
When chaos ensues once word gets out that someone has died, Cordelia speaks with President Perry Morgan (Paul Fitzgerald) about the importance of keeping everyone at the residence. He denies her request until the Australians enter the room and she notices that one of them is wearing A.B. Wynter's shirt. Right then and there, President Morgan orders for the White House to be locked down.
The Residence episode 1 review
If you're not having fun from the moment The Residence begins, then you're watching it wrong. It's no wonder Netflix has opted to submit the show as a comedy for Emmy Award consideration because this show is genuinely funny. The writing is expertly paced (almost dizzyingly so), the dialogue is witty, and the tone is completely anchored by a razor-sharp performance by Uzo Aduba.
The Residence creator and writer Paul William Davies has crafted a well-woven murder mystery, stitched together like an elaborate quilt. It's all going to make sense in the end, but right now, it's a tangled web of evidence, suspects, and questions. Just in the first episode, there are so many clues and possible motives that it'll make your head spin trying to take note of every minute detail.
Choosing to intercut Cordelia's investigation with testimonies from the congressional hearing, which is basically a vehicle for Happy Endings alum Eliza Coupe to run wild and be hilarious. She would have been excellent on the scene of the murder mystery, but she's just as great as Senator Margery Bay Bix, who has no filter and loves to interject with every intrusive thought. It's gold.
Netflix comedies have been hitting it out of the park lately, and although The Residence has a longer runtime than A Man on the Inside, Nobody Wants This, and Running Point, the comedy writing and performances are right on par. Once you buckle into Shondaland's latest rollercoaster ride, it's impossible to stop. The engaging mystery of who killed A.B. Wynter is just getting started!
Watch The Residence only on Netflix.