Netflix’s The Residence Differentiates Itself From Other Political Shows In One Major Way

From “The West Wing” to “The Crown,” some of the best TV shows out there take place in the world of politics. That said, they tend to revolve around politicians, special agents, and the professionals who deal with the more exciting jobs, often overlooking the day-to-day employees who make their meals, book their parties, and ensure everything runs smoothly. That’s not the case with Netflix’s “The Residence,” however, which documents the White House’s overlooked staff members within the framework of a good, old-fashioned murder mystery in the vein of “Clue,” “Knives Out,” and Agatha Christie’s best works.

Created by Paul William Davies, “The Residence” centers around an investigation to find out who killed Giancarlo Esposito’s White House chief usher A.B. Wynter (a role that was originally intended for the late Andre Braugher) during an Australian state dinner. He wasn’t the most popular guy among his colleagues either, making several of them plausible suspects. Fortunately, the best detective in the business, Cordelia Cupp (Uzo Aduba), is determined to solve the mystery, which brings her into contact with some interesting characters.

“The Residence” is an entertaining whodunit that features aggrieved chefs, secretaries, and housekeepers at the heart of its story. By featuring more blue-collar workers, the mystery isn’t less exciting either — in fact, it allows Davies and co. to tell a twisty-turny tale about characters whose possible motives buck trends found in other political entertainment.

Some creators might have been tempted to make “The Residence” all about an assassinated U.S. President at the hands of an enemy spy. However, the Commander-in-Chief barely features in the Netflix series, and the victim is just a common usher. Who’d want to kill such an innocuous and basic fella? Well, it turns out there are a few suspects.

There are over 140 potential killers at the state dinner, but the suspect list boils down to a handful of people. One of them is Sheila Cannon (Edwina Findley), a butler who gets on A.B. Wynter’s naughty list after getting caught drinking on the job. Then there’s the temperamental chef Didier Gotthard (Bronson Pinchot), who doesn’t take kindly to Wynter removing kangaroos from his tasty desserts. We also can’t rule out the seemingly helpful assistant usher Jasmine Haney (Susan Kelechi Watson), who’s in line for an automatic promotion if Wynter leaves the White House.

The suspects boast motives like revenge and employment, as opposed to wanting to commit politically charged crimes like treason. That said, “The Residence” was designed with the goal of being a political series that doesn’t involve much political subject matter.

One of the earliest scenes on “The Residence” highlights that the White House’s everyday workers aren’t connected to any political regime. They’ve witnessed numerous Presidents come and go throughout the years, and their duties have remained the same. There are some jokes made at the expense of the Oval Office’s top dogs, but they’re tame and unlikely to offend anyone’s political sensibilities.

While speaking to Deadline, Paul William Davies explained that he wasn’t interested in making another show like “The West Wing” or “Scandal.” He was more interested in telling the stories of people who spend most of their time in the White House, but who have an entirely unique perspective:

“The people that work there are very distinct from the people that work over in the West Wing and I really wanted to keep the focus there on the lives of the people that work there and live there, and those relationships.”

These characters also lend themselves to the chamber mystery sub-genre, as they more or less live in a building that’s full of interesting rooms and memorable settings. Overall, “The Residence” is a fun take on murder mysteries, and the perfect political show for viewers who don’t want to feel depressed about the state of the world.

“The Residence” is now streaming on Netflix.