Weekend Watch: The Residence
Uzo Aduba hunts a murderer at 1600 Penn
Image Credit: Netflix
Welcome to the latest edition of Weekend Watch, where I recommend (or occasionally warn against) movies or TV shows I’ve been checking out. This week, a new detective hits our screens. Follow James on Twitter: @jamwhite, Threads/Instagram: @jammerwhite and Blue Sky: @jammerwhite.bsky.social
Murder mysteries are once again all the rage on our screens, though there’s an argument to be made that the evergreen genre never truly leaves; it simply evolves.
But balancing comedy with the crime thriller is a trickier task than a straightforward mystery (and mysteries are seldom straightforward by design). Recent successes have included Only Murders In The Building (I reviewed the most recent season here) and Rian Johnson’s Daniel Craig-starring Benoit Blanc mysteries (my review of the most recent film, Glass Onion is here). Not forgetting Johnson’s other contribution, created in association with star Natasha Lyonne, Poker Face(which I wrote about here).
A third Benoit Blanc film and another season of Poker Face are on their way this year, while Only Murders returns in 2026. Until then, I’ve found a new entertaining mystery series, one that feels like Netflix and Shonda Rhimes’ Shondaland team watched the latter and decided to craft their own quirky detective comedy drama.
The Residence, created by Paul William Davies (a Shondaland veteran of shows such as Scandal, which explored political power struggles in an entirely more dramatic fashion) is set in the titular upstairs, downstairs, and backstairs of the White House, among the eclectic staff of the world's most famous mansion.
When Chief Usher AB Wynter (Giancarlo Esposito, who stepped into the role when old friend Andre Braugher died before filming was completed) is found dead, whimsical but keenly observant consulting detective Cordelia Cupp (Uzo Aduba) is brought in by the local police force.
Partnering with sceptical FBI special agent Edwin Park (Randall Park) to untangle what she deems an intriguing murder mystery (even if some among the White House staff would prefer it to be a suicide), Cupp must dig into the case and discover what really happened.
I’ve been a fan of Aduba’s since first seeing her on Orange Is The New Black, and I’m thrilled to see her playing this sort of role. She’s fantastic as Cupp, a birding-obsessed genius with little time for social mores but the sort of sharp eye and methodical brain that is perfect for investigations. Cupp, in the Sherlock Holmes mould, is also reminiscent of another favourite TV ‘tec of mine, Jonathan Creek (Alan Davies) from the eponymous series that ran between 1997 and 2016 in the UK.
And her sparky energy with Randall Park, who gives good hangdog energy, also brings the show to life.
But they’re just the tip of a cast that also includes the likes of Ken Marino, Al Franken, Jason Lee, Susan Kelechi Watson, Isiah Whitlock Jr., Jane Curtain and Eliza Coupe, who all bring the comedy goods.
Davies, leading a writing team and taking partial inspiration from Kate Andersen Brower’s non-fiction tome about the real-life workings of the Residence, has a clear love for murder mysteries (the episode titles are references to other examples) and here crafts a watchable one.
The twists come thick and fast, and the tension builds as the case develops. And all through it, Aduba strides through, owning every scene she’s in.
Your brain may end up aching from trying to figure out whodunnit and why, but it’s worth it.
The Residence is on Netflix now. I’ve seen the whole season.