Netflix's The Residence scratched a lot of itches for me, including the need to periodically binge a series, which I didn't even know I had.
But near the end of our Spring Break staycation, Audrey and I were looking for a show to watch, and the trailer had come up in my recommendations. As luck would have it, Fenya arrived back at home from an outing just before we sat down to watch the first of eight episodes before dinner on Saturday night.
We watched four more before going to bed and resolved to watch the remainder the following night, which we did.
The high-concept of "a murder, but in the White House" was enough to pique my interest, being a fan of shenanigans at 1660 Pennsylvania since The West Wing back in the day. I've never watched a Shondaland production before, but have heard great things about Bridgerton and Shonda Rimes alike, so that felt promising.
The story revolves around the murder of the White House's Chief Usher, A.B. Wynter (Giancarlo Esposito, who appears to be in everything now, and replaced Andre Braugher after his tragic passing) whose body is discovered in the Games Room on the same night as a state dinner for the Prime Minister of Australia. Consulting detective Cordelia Cupp (Uzo Aduba) is summoned from her planned bird-watching expedition, and has to deal with not only a seemingly impossible murder but all the political angles including an incredibly hostile Chief of Staff (Ken Marino) and an FBI agent (Randall Park) resolutely endeavouring to be useful but earning little more that exasperated tolerance from Cupp.
As murders go, it is a doozy, and switching perspectives from the events of that night to a senate inquiry months after the fact (chaired by former real-life Senator Al Franken!) puts an intriguing spin on it. But like the title says, the big seller here is the setting. From the sets themselves to the shots moving in and out of a meticulous model of the residential wing of the White House, I would still be inclined to believe you if you told me it had been shot on location. A former White House staffer gave them details about the areas that have never been photographed, and there are many details that give the entire affair a considerable veneer of credibility.
Of course, having all the legendary rooms, many of which are named for their dominant colour, come up in a murder mystery so often, the Clue comparisons are there for the taking as well.
Even if the setting has no interest to you, the amazing array of characters and the manner in which they drift in and out of the prime suspect box as the series progresses is similarly top rank. The quirks are maybe amplified as befits a murder-mystery comedy. The feuding chefs, one from a Michelin-starred Swiss resort, the other from a food truck in Portland are just two of several great examples.
Most critically of all, did they stick the landing? I definitely think so, yeah - enough so that Fenya and I may rewatch it just to make sure!
I'm not gonna lie; at this point in time, the idea of a murder in the White House is maybe a bit more compelling to people than it would've been, say 12 months ago? But whether you ration it out or binge it like we did, anyone who liked Knives Out or wants to explore a more profane take on Agatha Christie would do well to check out The Residence.
