The finale of Netflix’s The Residence finds Detective Cordelia Cupp sitting in front of Chairman Senator Filkins, Senator Bix, and the rest of the congressional committee for a closed hearing. Here, she presents how she solved the murder of Chief Usher A.B. Wynter.
Before the episode hops into Cupp’s extensive testimony, we see Wynter on the evening of the state dinner. A softer moment with a fellow staff member reveals October 11 was his father’s birthday. His father was an expert backgammon player, who could defeat a child A.B. while driving. Wynter explains he lost his parents 54 years ago in a car crash. It’s a window into Wynter’s personal life and how he had a family. His colleague fondly reminds him that the White House staff are his family, to which he smiles.
The familial bond Wynter had with the world inside those four walls is likely why he felt he wasn’t ready to retire. It also points to the reason someone inside the White House wanted him dead.
Cupp’s lengthy testimony takes up the rest of the episode as she recalls inviting all suspects back to the foyer for a final tour. They would begin in the Game Room where Wynter’s body was found and descend through the facility, arriving at the Yellow Oval Room. Most of the testimony recounts what was known about that evening with some new additions.
We discover numerous items are missing. Emily Mackil’s favorite tumbler was moved from her greenhouse. And the Yellow Room is without a vase and the presumed murder weapon: an FDR clock that was sitting on the mantle. We also learned Tripp discovered Wynter’s body in Room 301. He dragged Wynter to the Game Room, slit his wrists to align with the found alleged suicide note, and painted over the blood in Room 301.
Mutlipe people are presented as red herrings as we learn a fourth suspect snuck into the room and killed Wynter undetected. The only way this was possible was by exiting through the secret passageway. But the doorway had since been sealed via orders from Jasmine Haney. To prove her innocence, she claims those orders came from Elliott Morgan, the First Gentleman. But he denies the call, which would have been the second time someone impersonated his voice on the night in question.
Finally, Lilly Schumacher, the social secretary, admits to making the false call because she was protecting the real killers: Bruce and Elysie. She alleged they both plotted Wyner’s death because Elysie was going to lose her job, and Bruce loved her. Cordelia almost believes her, but Lilly has made a fatal error. Cordelia reveals she found A.B.’s journals and they kept meticulous notes. Those notes included details of Lilly’s unpleasant behavior and alleged misappropriation of funds.
A.B. threatened to expose Lilly to the President that night; the argument Eddie thought was between A.B. and Hollinger. In the heat of the moment, Lilly went to grab the journal and tore a page out; the alleged suicide note. Thus, her plan to silence A.B. went into motion. She stole the pesticide and the tumbler from the greenhouse and called Wynter to meet her in the Yellow Room. She mixed the poison in his glass, but he didn’t drink it all. Then, she threw the vase which he dodged. Finally, she struck him dead with the clock and hid it in the secret hallway. She sealed the hallway to make the murder weapon with her prints disappear.
The motive? Cordelia explains how Lilly, an American oligarch, hated the White House: the building, its staff, and what it stood for. She aimed to turn it inside out to her liking, but A.B. stood in the way.
Overall, the finale serves as a satisfying reveal. Albeit it was maybe 20 minutes too long, the writing and acting held up. Uzo Aduba shines throughout, delivering a stellar performance that makes up for the episode’s length. Ironically, the killer turned out to be a rich, unelected White House staffer seeking control through under-the-table schemes and illegality.
Rating: 8/10
