‘The Residence’ series review: Uzo Aduba powers this quirky mystery set in the White House

 Uzo Aduba in ‘The Residence’ 

Remember Suzanne ‘Crazy Eyes’ from Orange Is The Black? That’s Primetime Emmy Award winner Uzo Aduba, now portraying Detective Cordelia Cupp in the Netflix series The Residence, produced by Shonda Rhimes. Playing a birder, quirky Cordelia investigates the murder of A.B. Wynter, the White House Chief Usher played by Giancarlo Esposito, during a State Dinner at the White House. She sketches to think and she is capable of solving the unsolvable. She does not let something go, even if it’s trivial. Her memory and attention to detail is evident from the fact that she traverses seven seas just to look at one bird.

Randall Park portrays Edwin Park, an FBI special agent who’s assigned to help Detective Cupp on the case. The series is inspired by the book ‘The Residence: Inside the Private World of the White House’ written by Kate Andersen Brower. With stunningly replicated sets of the White House, whose rooms, carpets and props are all integral to the story, the show was primarily shot in Los Angeles, California, at Raleigh Studios, according to Netflix.

Writer Paul William Davies who wanted to pay homage to other creations of the same genre, weaved that into the show by naming each episode in reference to other famous murder mysteries. The comic relief in many instances are cleverly showcased in such a way that it may echo the inner voice of the viewer.

The White House staff get more prominence in the show, and it boasts of a diverse cast, including a number of Black actors in supporting roles. The interpersonal dynamics in the show’s setting showcases the conflict of worlds between the staff and the presidential family. The peppy background score brings in a certain energy to the funny murder mystery. The twists and turns make the viewer want to keep guessing.

Detective Cupp interrogates everyone at the State Dinner after the murder, and it takes forever to figure out the case, even as a Senate committee assembled to investigate. Confident of solving the murder that had zero witnesses and a lot of loose ends, Cupp pauses her questioning to go birdwatching at the WH grounds, as it’s in her nature to observe them while analysing the current situation. It also helps her to take it all in when there is a little too much to assess. This whodunnit feels like it was inspired by Knives Out where everyone was a suspect and everyone had a motive to kill the deceased character. While some of the episodes run for long, I feel it was intentional, as it takes forever for a bird watcher to spot the birds.

The Residence is a binge-worthy series as the viewer is unable to figure out the killer even in the last few minutes of the last episode. That’s how unsolvable it is. The show ends on a high note. Uzo Aduba has stamped her mark again as Detective Cordelia Cupp.

‘The Residence’ is now streaming on Netflix.

Published - June 16, 2025 04:55 pm IST