The Residence Review: In this Netflix whodunit, Cordelia Cupp is invited to the White House when the Chief Usher ends up dead. With hundreds of suspects, literally, Cordelia must find a way to get to the culprit. Through her investigations, we learn about all the eclectic staff inside the building and their many hilarious quirks.
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The Residence Netflix Cast
Uzo Aduba, Giancarlo Esposito, Randall Park, Molly Griggs, Susan Kelechi Watson, Isiah Whitlock Jr., Edwina Findley, Jason Lee, Ken Marino, Al Mitchell, Dan Perrault, Bronson Pinchot, Julieth Restrepo, Mel Rodriguez, Mary Wiseman
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The Residence Series Creator
Paul William Davies
The series has 8 episodes, each with a runtime of around 60 minutes and is based on the book The Residence: Inside the Private World of the White House by Kate Andersen Brower. Shonda Rhimes has produced the series.
The Residence Review
Shonda Rhimes is great at creating dramatic, chaotic mystery in all of her ventures and Netflix’s The Residence is nothing less. Juicy and utterly insane, the cheeky whodunit might just be your favourite watch this weekend thanks to its fast-paced storytelling and a fantastic Uzo Aduba to keep you company. Sprinting from one room to the next, we are introduced to a ton of characters quite quickly and soon become familiar with most of them because they mesh into the fabric of the story effortlessly. It’s thanks to the creators and the actors of the series that this is possible, and the story flows because of it.
The literal hundreds of characters might feel overwhelming for many but I promise that not everyone is important and those who are can be distinguished quite easily. The series is a classic murder mystery whodunit and doesn’t try to be anything else but that’s okay because that’s where its charms lie. I think its odd quirks and chaotic storytelling make it amusing and quite humorous, coupled with the oddball characters who might or might not say something absolutely insane at any moment.
However, nothing and no one in this series is as interesting as Cordelia Cupp. I think I would even dare to call her my favourite character in any show. She’s stone-faced and factual but there’s an underlying humour to her that is infectious. The way she stares and intimidates is piercing but you know she’s not someone you are supposed to be afraid you. Of course, there’s also the thing that she’s a brilliant detective and, for once, is a woman.
Uzo Aduba is the perfect choice for Cupp. She brings out her character’s quirks so well that it feels like she’s an actual detective and isn’t just playing someone. Aduba carries this series on her shoulders and although every other character is quite funny, there’s just something about Cupp that is hard to ignore. I liked Randall Park (or is it Jim Halpert?) as Edwin Park as well. He’s quite funny as the sort-of sidekick to Cupp and has quite a few funny moments.
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Other than that, the murder mystery part of the series is also quite interesting. With so many people to sift through, it takes a bit but never too much. As a result, it’s never boring and the erratic editing goes well with the general chaos of the White House. It’s very easy to binge-watch the show, I know I couldn’t take my eyes off this group of misfits. You are also constantly questioning who could’ve murdered A.B. Wynter and viewers will be lost in the sauce far too often.
Final Thoughts
The Residence is a juicy, dramatic show that will be your favourite binge-watch this weekend. It’s funny, witty and has so many points of interest that it’s hard to pinpoint what exactly is tugging at your mind. It’s also exceptionally chaotic and sometimes a bit crazy but that’s where its charms lie, along with a fantastic Uzo Aduba.
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