A TV murder mystery has an eternal appeal, typically captivating viewers with a slow revelation of clues that allows the audience to be part of the discovery. It’s a genre that can shift its tone easily, from serious drama to witty comedy, and television detectives have long been beloved characters. The Residence, created by Paul William Davies and produced by Shondaland, hits many of these tropes, embracing a quirky lead detective and a slew of even quirkier suspects, all within the walls of the White House.
On the evening of a state dinner held for the Australian delegation, White House chief usher A.B. Wynter (Giancarlo Esposito) is found murdered. It sets off a panic among the staff and we are quickly introduced to Cordelia Cupp, a police detective with a eye for detail and an obsession with bird watching. She’s played winningly by Uzo Aduba, who gives Cupp a wry approach to her investigation. The cast is an expansive as the list of characters, who encompass the White House employees, the guests and members of the D.C. police and the FBI. Even Kylie Minogue, who performs as part of the state dinner, is a suspect.
Instead of approaching the whodunnit in a traditional way, Davies presents the information in a non-linear, sometimes chaotic episode structure. Each episode flashes between characters quickly, sometimes giving more than one version of a scene or a statement to highlight the fact that each character’s perception of events is subjective. As Cupp investigates the murder in the past, several of the same characters address members of Congress in the present, detailing how the murder investigation was handled. It’s a lot of information all at once and it can be tricky to keep track of the characters, as well as who was where and when. Still, the jumping around infuses the storytelling with whimsy and energy, and there are some funny moments, particularly from FBI special agent Edwin Park (Randall Park).
Over eight episodes, Davies doles out red herrings, new clues and some key backstory about Cupp, which informs the investigation. She’s a keen observer and we eventually learn why, in one of the most engaging parts of the show. Despite the serious crime at the heart of the series, it’s a light-hearted watch, embracing screwball comedy tones and speedy dialogue. Some of the characters feel more like caricatures than fully-defined people, but that is part of the fun—Taran Killam’s St. Pierre is a hilarious energy healer who gets involved in the event planning and Barrett Foa’s Elliott Morgan is an enjoyably clueless first gentleman. And yes, the president, Perry Morgan (Paul Fitzgerald), is a gay man, although that’s rarely discussed and it simply accepted as part of the narrative landscape. (If only.)
A lot of actors show up, from Jason Lee to Ken Marino to Eliza Coupe, and Al Franken plays a fictional senator in a meta moment that lends some sincerity to the story. These various appearances add to the show’s energy, even if you sometimes struggle to recall who is who. It’s clear that Davies appreciates and admires the history of the whodunnit—there are nods to Agatha Christie and Knives Out throughout the episodes—and he infuses his take with that appreciation. Sometimes you wish the show would slow or focus on one character, rather than frenetically leap through space and time, but it’s easy to enjoy the full-throttle vibe. It keeps you guessing until the very end, and Davies is careful not to make the eventual revelation too obvious. It’s fun to imagine a murder in this parallel universe White House, which has a very different sort of chaos to the one in our reality. Even if it’s ultimately more of a dessert than an entrée, The Residence is a very welcome distraction.
‘The Residence’ is streaming now on Netflix.
