The Residence

What happens when the black Chief Usher of the White House turns up dead during a state dinner while Kylie Minogue performs for the Prime Minister of Australia downstairs? The new eight part Netflix series The Residence (2026) takes the classic murder mystery format and merges it with the high-pressure environment of Washington D.C. This continues Netflix’s successful Knives Out movie trilogy (2019, 2022, 2025) which starred Daniel Craig as Benoit Blanc. Produced by African-American TV mogul Shonda Rhimes’ Shondaland (which has graced us with beloved series like Grey’s Anatomy [2005 –  ], Private Practice [2007-2013], Scandal [2012-2018], and multiple incarnations of Bridgerton [2020- ]), The Residence looks inside the multi-racial cast of characters who operate the events and maintain the White House, while investigating a high-profile murder. But all is not well in the people’s house as the murder investigation uncovers a complex web of relationships, revenge, and power grabs.

The murder investigation is compellingly retold through the lens of a congressional hearing. The narrative device pulls us into and out of the chronology of the crime as various witnesses take the stand. They take turns testifying to the committee (and a horde of reporters) about how the state dinner and murder unfolded. The tense and combative atmosphere of political-partisan theatre adds great tension as the characters are interrogated. The hearings are punctuated by a brash, blond Marjorie Taylor Green-esque character called Margery Bay Bix (Eliza Coupe) who disrupts proceedings and asks pointed questions often critical of President Perry Morgan (Paul Fitzgerald) and his connections to the crime.

The series is carried by the quirky lead detective Cordelia Cupp (Uzo Aduba) best known for her scene-stealing role as Suzanne “Crazy Eyes” Warren in Orange is New Black (2013-2019). While Aduba’s breakout role was erratic and chaotic, Detective Cupp is intelligent and insular which demonstrates the actress’s depth and range. As a consulting detective for D.C.’s Metropolitan Police Department, Cupp’s character is engaging, sarcastic, and dry witted. She is a master at letting suspects orchestrate their own downfalls while she silently observes them during interrogations. One example of this is when suspects succumb to her silence and blurt out confessions that she already knew from her investigations. Detective Cupp is an out-of-the-box black female character, with the eccentric hobby of birding which gives her powerful observational skills that she uses on the characters and crime scene. But we see little outside of her dedicated work life in the investigation, with the occasional pause to look for birds. Her sister and nephew make brief appearances, otherwise we see Cupp as a fiercely independent single; a queer-coded black woman with an androgynous style and interest in men’s tailoring. Being a stoic black woman in charge of a crime scene at the White House, she wonderfully deflects criticisms from the largely white Secret Service and FBI agents critical to her unconventional methods. Cupp often remarks dryly walking into rooms “a lot of dudes in here”. As the show makes clear, Cupp is not merely a black woman in a white-dominant world, she is also a highly capable one who is accustomed to being underestimated by those around her. Thankfully the black Chief of Police, Larry Dokes (Isiah Whitlock Jr.), believes in her talents and defends her methods in the investigation.

The show makes several subtle nods to contemporary political culture as a circus. The context of the Australian state dinner was extremely important for diplomatic relations since we learn that the previous administration left a “mess” that the current one is trying to smooth over. As well as the rowdy congressional hearings, the series pokes jabs at contemporary politics in President Trump’s second administration, imagining a different present where the crime is set. The series even imagines the President as a white gay man alongside the nation’s inaugural First Gentleman, hosting the state dinner and living in the White House. It is a clear re-imagination of our moment, its possibilities, and who is accepted in American politics.

The mixed-race cast of ushers, butlers, engineers, chefs, cooks, housekeepers, politicians, and guests lends an authenticity to the setting and plot as they are introduced as witnesses. The internal dynamics and conflicts between the murder victim and Chief Usher A.B. Wynter (Giancarlo Esposito) and the other staff make for a complex web of motives that keep audiences guessing about who committed his murder. There are a few in-jokes between black staff or other racial jokes made in passing if viewers pay attention to the dialogue. While Detective Cupp is interviewing one of the Australian delegates she is handed a picture of the deceased and asked when she last saw him. She replies that she just saw him out in the hall, to which Cupp replies disappointedly “no you didn’t” and takes back the picture of the black victim.

The series is an interesting expansion of the murder mystery genre. There are themes of an old guard protecting traditions in contrast to innovators and disruptors shaking things up. A notable character is the bubbly, white social secretary Lilly Schumacher (Molly Griggs) and her white wellness influencer friend who butt heads with the White House staff about protocols. They force the staff to move the annual gingerbread replica of the White House to the basement at Christmas to make room for a wellness spa. Another key theme is an us vs. them, or up vs. down tension that plays out through the dynamics of power and wealth in Washington. Some of the staff or contract-event workers are desperate to keep a job while other characters are powerful corporate lobbyists. Who is fighting for a promotion or who is corrupt enough to betray their duties? The social dynamics of the White House operations are deliciously tense, corrupt, and power-laden.

Although the whodunnit format is a staple of TV and film, The Residence provides a modern-day twist (with an oddly nostalgic feel) through the lens of an intelligent black female detective with keen observational skills and an impressive intellect that rivals  Sherlock Holmes. The gripping suspense of the format entices audiences, even though we know exactly what to expect in the plot and what the reveal of the series will be. Although the concluding episode and the conclusion itself were a bit convoluted (with too many twists and turns), the series is enjoyable, engaging, and deserves to be renewed for additional seasons and crimes. Aduba’s Detective Cupp character is quirky, engaging,  absolutely memorable, and warrants more opportunities to shine.