Mar 17, 2025 - Culture

Netflix show "The Residence" solves a White House murder mystery

Mimi Montgomery

A photo of a woman and a man standing in the White House. — Uzo Aduba and Randall Park star in the new Netflix show "The Residence." Photo: Courtesy Netflix

There's been a murder in the White House, and detective Cordelia Cupp needs to solve it — or, at least, that's what happens in the new Shonda Rhimes show "The Residence."

The big picture: The Netflix series — which has been described as a "Knives Out" and "West Wing" mashup— is a murder mystery set in the Executive Mansion after someone shows up dead during a state dinner.

Cupp, played by Uzo Aduba, teams up with an FBI agent played by Randall Park to set off on a who-dunnit, "Clue"-like adventure through the back corridors of 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.
The show focuses on the butlers, housekeepers and chefs who keep the place running, and is in part inspired by Kate Andersen Brower's book "The Residence."

The intrigue: While most of the show was filmed in Los Angeles instead of D.C., showrunner Paul William Davies — who also worked with Rhimes on the White House-centered show "Scandal" — tells Axios that he and his team were meticulous when it came to research.

They consulted with former White House staffers and watched "more hours than is probably right for somebody to watch" of C-SPAN footage, says Davies.
"It was important for us that it feel very authentic and be the White House."

State of play: The show premieres Thursday on Netflix.

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Netflix show "The Residence" solves a White House murder mystery

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