The Residence – Series Review | Netflix

THE RESIDENCE on Netflix is a 2025 whodunnit series from Shonda Rhimes. Made in the vein of Knives Out, this is full of wonderful pop culture references and stars the amazing Uzo Aduba as the world’s greatest detective. Read our full The Residence series review here!

THE RESIDENCE is a new Netflix series from the extremely successful series producer Shonda Rhimes. This is a whodunnit genre hybrid about a murder in the White House during a state dinner. Uzo Aduba plays the eccentric but brilliant detective who needs to solve the case.

I wasn’t sure what to expect but from the trailer, I knew the vibe was along the lines of Knives Out. And it is. However, this is still very much its own thing and I love it. The series has eight episodes and we were given the first seven for this review and can’t wait to watch the finale.

Continue reading our The Residence series review below. Find it on Netflix from March 20, 2025.

Who killed A.B. Wynter?

The White House Chief Usher, A.B. Wynter (Giancarlo Esposito) turns up dead. Now, the facts must be uncovered as soon as possible to avoid a scandal. But who would hurt him and why?

That’s a job for one of the very best detectives in the world; Cordelia Cupp (Uzo Aduba). With a whopping 132 rooms and 157 suspects, she needs to get to work immediately.

The death happened during a state dinner with the Australian Prime Minister and Foreign Secretary. This is also why so many people are currently present. Now they need to stay put and Kylie Minogue can only keep singing the same song so many times.

Through interviews with all the suspects (though there are no suspects yet if you ask Cordelia Cupp), we learn a lot. Flashbacks show us what they’re telling her, and we get many different points of view. Also, we realize that eyewitness accounts differ wildly and cannot be trusted.

These people cannot agree on even the most simple details. Fortunately, Cordelia Cupp can see through all the messy accounts of events, and focus on the details that actually matter.

Master Detective Cordelia Cupp

The Residence is a witty and whipsmart whodunnit series with eight hour-long episodes. Whenever one episode ended, I was ready to keep watching. It never feels too long or goes too far out on any one limb. Instead, it helps us understand the right way to investigate.

Having watched a lot of true crime documentaries – including those about people who are wrongfully convicted – this was a joy to watch. A detective who actually looks at all the facts in context before deciding on a suspect.

For Cordelia Cupp (Uzo Aduba), this is the key. As an eccentric but brilliant detective, she’s already world-renowned for having solved the most unsolvable cases. Why? Because she doesn’t decide on a suspect based on feelings or other people’s suggestions.

Instead, she takes her time and utilizes the laser focus she’s learned for years of birdwatching. Oh yes, birdwatching is a theme in The Residence. Not least as she’s teaching her somewhat reluctant appointed assistant, FBI Agent Edwin Park (Randall Park) her methods.

I love her confidence and how she insists on being respected. She refuses to do anything, except what she believes is the right course of action, which time and again proves to be the right move.

Fantastic all-star cast

While The Residence is full of famous actors making it an all-star cast, you should know that the entire cast is amazing. The smaller roles played by actors you may not recognize are equally brilliant.

Apart from Uzo Aduba as Cordelia Cupp, Giancarlo Esposito as A.B. Wynter, and Randall Park as Edwin Park, we have so many wonderful actors.

Among those with a lot of screentime from the beginning, we have the hilarious Jane Curtin, Ken Marino as a real jerk, Jason Lee as a deadbeat brother, Isiah Whitlock Jr. as a cop, Bronson Pinchot as a pastry chef, and Mary Wiseman as the fiery chef Marvella.

Watch The Residence on Netflix

The creator of The Residence is Paul William Davies (For the People). He also serves as showrunner, writer, and executive producer of the series. Also executive producing are Shonda Rhimes, Betsy Beers, and Liza Johnson.

As directors, we have Liza Johnson (What We Do in the Shadows, The Last of Us) and Jaffar Mahmood (Santa Clarita Diet). The former directs the first four episodes, the latter is the director of the final four.

This new Netflix series was inspired by the book “The Residence: Inside the Private World of the White House” by author Kate Andersen Brower. It truly is a fascinating world, and seeing it all play out as a murder mystery highlights the hierarchy and many internal battles.

If you enjoyed the Knives Out movies or even just any whodunnit with a dark comedy twist and many pop culture references, then this should be a real treat for you. Enjoy!

The Residence is on Netflix from March 21, 2025. 

Details

Showrunner: Paul William Davies
Starring: Uzo Aduba (Cordelia Cupp), Giancarlo Esposito (A.B. Wynter), Edwina Findley (Sheila Cannon), Molly Griggs (Lilly Schumacher), Jason Lee (Tripp Morgan), Ken Marino (Harry Hollinger), Al Mitchell (Rollie Bridgewater), Randall Park (Edwin Park), Dan Perrault (Colin Trask), Bronson Pinchot (Didier Gotthard), Julieth Restrepo (Elsyie Chayle), Mel Rodriguez (Bruce Geller), Susan Kelechi Watson (Jasmine Haney), Isiah Whitlock Jr. (Larry Dokes), Mary Wiseman (Marvella)
Guest stars:Keiko Agena (Liz Hollenbeck), Dana Bash (Herself), Eliza Coupe (Senator Margery Bay Bix), Jane Curtin (Nan Cox), Jane Darrow (Nohelia), Izzy Diaz (Eddie Gomez), Ryan Farrell (Lorenzo Motta), Rebecca Field (Emily Mackil), Paul Fitzgerald (President Perry Morgan), Barrett Foa (Elliott Morgan), Al Franken (Senator Aaron Filkins), Andrew Friedman (Irv Samuelson), Spencer Garrett (Wally Glick), Timothy Horner (Patrick Doumbe), Juliette Jeffers (Angie Huggins), Tara Karsian (Anne Dodge), Taran Killam (St. Pierre), Sonya Leslie (Christy Vail), Julian McMahon (PM Stephen Roos), Kylie Minogue (Herself), Sumalee Montano (Dana Hammond), Matt Oberg (Nick Simms), Alexandra Siegel (Valentina Motta), Jake Tapper (Himself), Brett Tucker (David Rylance)