Shondaland's new Series is a Screwball Whodunnit Set in the White House
"Murder mysteries are so popular right now"
Sit up, whodunnit fans! There’s a new murder mystery series coming to Netflix. It’s called The Residence.
And it’s got a lot going on. It’s a “screwball” “whodunnit” set in the “White House.” I said that in the title. But there’s more! Like, it’s set among the staff of the White House. It’s like Upstairs/Downstairs meets The West Wing, but with murder and comedy. Or it’s like Downton Abbey meets Scandal but with comedy. Have I made myself clear enough? As I said, it’s got a lot going on!
Case in point: this is the advertising logline that appeared on Twitter:
132 rooms
157 suspects
1 dead body
Kylie Minogue
I have to admit, I’m intrigued.
The show features an impressive roster of stars. Uzo Aduba is the lead, detective Cornelia Cupp (Is “Cornelia Cupp” a play on “Benoit Blanc?” We will find out.) She performs opposite: Giancarlo Esposito, Jason Lee, Randall Park, Edwina Findley, Susan Kelechi Watson, Ken Marino, Bronson Pinchot, Isiah Whitlock Jr., and Al Franken. (Al Franken?! Who does not play himself, btw.)
It looks silly, a little meta. A character knowingly says “murder mysteries are so popular right now.” Indeed. Indeed.
Watch the trailer here:
Olivia Rutigliano
Olivia Rutigliano is an Editor at Lit Hub and CrimeReads. Her other work appears in Vanity Fair, Vulture, Lapham's Quarterly, AirMail, the Los Angeles Review of Books, Public Books, The Baffler, Bright Wall/Dark Room, Politics/Letters, The Toast, Truly Adventurous, and elsewhere. She has a PhD from the departments of English/comparative literature and theatre at Columbia University, where she was the Marion E. Ponsford fellow. She hosts the podcasst "Culture Schlock" at Lit Hub Radio. She is on instagram at @oldebean, twitter at @oldrutigliano, and bluesky at @oliviarutigliano.bsky.social.
