The Residence

I thought THE RESIDENCE on Netflix was just gonna be a lighthearted, whimsical locked-room whodunnit but man was I wrong, because in this show, the White House (where the murder takes place) is America (as that final shot of an eagle makes very clear), and it offers us a stark reminder of the real villain that country faces. If you liked the social commentary of KNIVES OUT, I think you’ll definitely enjoy this. Very, very spoiler-filled thoughts about the final episode below…

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I want more Detective Cupp shows pls and also I want Randall Park in sardonic detective mode in everything.

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Did I mention the real Kylie Minogue is in this?! More bonus points

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And you know I loves me some Giancarlo Esposito.

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Ok, to the spoilers. The killer in this show is the rich, white person who absolutely hates the White House, all those within it, and all it stands for (as a unified workplace). She wants to tear it apart and remake it the way she thinks it should be. And AB, the man she killed, loved the building and the flawed team who care for it. As Cupp says, the staff are:

“[..] one imperfect union trying to make it work. I think this is really worth believing in. And SHE does not believe in this. And that is why she sucks.”

Every character in this show makes mistakes; their tiny errors almost enabled the killer to get away with it. Cupp talks about “regrettable behaviour from so many other people in the house.” But ultimately, the villain is the rich white girl who quietly hates this chaotic family and quirky building and wants to sanitise how it looks and sack all the staff. Sound familiar?

I also thought it significant that towards the end, the killer exploits the fears of the two characters with the most working class positions, one of whom is an immigrant. She doesn’t make them turn on each other, but she certainly uses their fears about each other against them. She also tries to implicate a gay character.

Also, the crucial final takeaway is: LISTEN TO BLACK WOMEN. Always.