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The Residence is the name given to the White House, but right in the middle of a State dinner between US President Perry Morgan (Paul Fitzgerald) and Australian Prime Minister Stephen Roos (Julian McMahon – RED), in the best tradition of a Taggart episode, there’s been a murder!
If you thought Giancarlo Esposito had a brief appearance in Captain America: Brave New World, it’s even more so here, as A.B. Wynter, the Chief White House Usher, a job that his assistant, Jasmine Haney (Susan Kelechi Watson – A Beautiful Day In The Neighbourhood) has been waiting for, for some time, so now, she might just have her wish.
Still, A.B. does pop up in flashback scenes, so the actor doesn’t get off without having to learn any lines, and this is a very wordy comedic drama, especially when “the best detective in the world” Cordelia Cupp (Uzo Aduba – Painkiller) is brought in to attempt to solve the case, wanting to interview pretty much everyone in the building.
The plot is dripped out over time, with relevations coming up along the way, and she doesn’t miss a trick!
The Residence is presented like a stage play, but played straight, so it’s very amusing, especially when Cordelia – who has a very dry sensor of humour – illicits a set of answers from one person, without even saying a word!
Taking the role of her boss Larry Dokes is Isiah Whitlock Jr, best known as Senator Clay Davis from The Wire, but this show is anything BUT “shiiiiiiiiiiiit“.
Also popping up in the cast is Kylie Minogue as herself, performing at the State dinner, although it looks a bit odd, since even though you do see her sing sometimes, it comes across as a case of her brief scenes being filmed separately and then spliced into the scene, especially when people walk past her and her face is out of shot, as if they’ve hired a stand-in. It could be that she’s meant to be continuing to sing a song at that point, and they don’t want to get the other actors’ movements mixed up with her lip movements.
Detective-wise, Daniel Craig’s Benoit Blanc also gets a name-check from the Knives Out movies, and never thought I’d hear Crocodile Dundee In Los Angeles get a reference!
So, while I am enjoying this, the dialogue is very full-on to watch, though, and can get a bit overwhelming, so I think one episode at a time will be enough.
Thanks to our friends at Netflix for the screener prior to release.
The Residence is not available to pre-order on Blu-ray or DVD, but is on Netflix from Thursday March 13th.
Detailed specs:
Cert: 
Running time: 45-90 minutes per episode (8 episodes)
Release date: March 20th 2025
Studio: Netflix
Format: 2.00:1
Series Directors: Jaffar Mahmood, Liza Johnson
Creator: Paul William Davies
Novel: Kate Andersen Brower
Music: Mark Mothersbaugh
Cast:
Cordelia Cupp: Uzo Aduba
A.B. Wynter: Giancarlo Esposito
Jasmine Haney (White House Assistant Usher): Susan Kelechi Watson
Angie Huggins: Juliette Jeffers
Rollie Bridgewater: Al Mitchell
Elliot Morgan: Barrett Foa
Sheila Cannon: Edwina Findley
Stephen Roos, the Prime Minister of Australia: Julian McMahon
Australian Foreign Minister David Rylance: Brett Tucker
Tripp Morgan: Jason Lee
Harry Hollinger: Ken Marino
Melody Roos: Jodi Bianca Wise
President Perry Morgan: Paul Fitzgerald
Dana Hammond: Sumalee Montano
George Mccutheon: JD Hall
Elsyie Chayle: Julieth Restrepo
Daryl Armogeda: James Babson
Patrick Doumbe: Timothy Hornor
Walpole Bing: Aubrey Wakeling
Herself: Kylie Minogue
Edwin Park: Randall Park
Lilly Schumacher: Molly Griggs
Rollie Bridgewater: Al Mitchell
Colin Trask: Dan Perrault
Wally Glick: Spencer Garrett
Didier Gotthard: Bronson Pinchot
Larry Dokes: Isiah Whitlock Jr
Marvella: Mary Wiseman
Nick Simms: Matt Oberg
Reviewer of movies, videogames and music since 1994. Aortic valve operation survivor from the same year. Running DVDfever.co.uk since 2000. Nobel Peace Prize winner 2021.