Is Netflix’s compelling thriller The Residence based on a real-life incident?
The issue of who killed Wynter and why, with a large group of suspects, keeps viewers on edge until the very end.
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SPOILER AHEAD!
The Residence, Shonda Rhimes’ recent Netflix thriller, offers a startling revelation at the end of season one. The show centers on a peculiar inquisition into the murder of Chief Usher A.B. Wynter (Giancarlo Esposito), set against the backdrop of a high-stakes State banquet for Australia at the White House.
The role of Cordelia Cupp, played by Uzo Aduba, is that of a birding detective sent to solve the crime. In the Yellow Oval Room of the White House, Cupp’s inquiry comes to an unexpected end as she weaves together clues from dozens of suspects, including aspirational assistant Jasmine Haney (Susan Kelechi Watson) and presidential advisor Harry Hollinger (Ken Marino).
The murderer is revealed by Cupp to be White House social secretary Lilly Schumacher (Molly Griggs) at the film’s dramatic ending. Although Elsyie Chayle (Julieth Restrepo) and engineer Bruce Geller (Mel Rodriguez) were first suspected, Cupp finds contradictions in Lilly’s evidence and reveals her to be the mastermind behind Wynter’s murder.
Seeking her keen detective skills, Cupp was able to piece together the discrepancies in Lilly’s stories and suspect her early on. Lilly said she saw Elsyie and Wynter fight in the Yellow Oval Room, but Cupp found she couldn’t have seen it from where she was standing. Cupp was also alerted to Lilly’s attempt to hide her identity when she claimed that a “suicide note” had been placed in Wynter’s jacket.
The Residence is not based on a factual story, despite a gripping narrative of murder, deceit, and intrigue in the famous White House. In this fictional whodunit, historical settings are combined with made-up characters and events to create an exciting story
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