Netflix’s The Residence is a thrilling murder mystery set within the White House, blending political drama with an intricate investigation.
The series follows Detective Cordelia Cupp as she unravels the truth behind the shocking death of A.B. Wynter, the White House Chief Usher, during an Australian state dinner.
With a cast of powerful figures, hidden motives, and a locked-down White House, the investigation takes unexpected twists before revealing the shocking truth.
Overview
The Residence Plot Summary
The Murder at the White House
During an Australian state dinner at the White House, a woman’s scream shatters the evening’s elegance.
A.B. Wynter, the Chief Usher, is found dead in the game room, with slits on his wrists and a note in his pocket.
While some, including the President’s advisor Harry Hollinger, rush to label it a suicide, Detective Cordelia Cupp, an astute investigator with a passion for birds, disagrees.
She immediately notices the absence of sharp objects at the scene, making self-inflicted wounds impossible.
As the President dismisses the guests, Detective Cupp’s sharp eyes land on Australian Foreign Minister David Rylance, who is wearing Wynter’s shirt.
Suspicious, she begins interrogating key figures and piecing together the night’s events.
Uncovering Secrets and Tensions
As Detective Cupp interviews various individuals in the White House, she uncovers tensions surrounding Wynter’s role.
The suspicion is initially on the following people in the residence:
The Australian Finance Minister who reveals a personal altercation involving a White House cook, Marvella, who had a dispute with Wynter.
He exchanged his shirt with A.B. Wynter because he got blood on it after an accidental injury while eloping with Marvella, a cook at the White House.
Wynter offered him his clean shirt in his office.
The pastry chef Didier also comes under scrutiny when it is revealed he removed his knife from the crime scene, fearing false accusations.
Further questioning exposes conflicts between Wynter and White House staff, particularly Sheila, a butler who feared she would be fired after an argument.
Wynter’s journal, discovered by a close friend, hints at stress and turmoil in his final days.
Meanwhile, a 12-year-old boy named Lucy claims to have seen a flashing red light in the White House window at 9:46 PM, adding another layer of mystery.
Key Suspects and Alibis in The Residence
Attention turns to Tripp Morgan, the President’s brother, who had a heated argument with Wynter on the night of the murder.
Tripp’s watch emits a red flashing light, matching the time of Lucy’s sighting.
Another key suspect is Harry Hollinger, who had accused Wynter of eavesdropping on sensitive political discussions.
New evidence emerges when a third unidentified man, Mr. Doumbe, is revealed to have been in the White House that night but left before the lockdown.
Under pressure, he confesses to seeing a man dragging a body across the living room, proving that Wynter’s body was moved post-mortem.
The Investigation Hits a Dead End
Despite mounting evidence suggesting foul play, the White House administration officially rules Wynter’s death a suicide, shutting down Detective Cupp’s investigation.
Frustrated, she leaves the White House and resumes her bird-watching routine in a forest.
However, when new testimony emerges, she is called back to the case, tasked with solving it within 48 hours by Harry Hollinger.
Her renewed investigation focuses on Bruce, an engineer who had frequent arguments with Wynter, and his lover Elsyie, a White House helper who had been reprimanded by Wynter just before his death.
Bruce confesses to moving Wynter’s body but denies killing him, further complicating the case.
The Residence Ending Explained
The Truth Behind Wynter’s Death
Detective Cupp presents her findings in court, unveiling the final pieces of the puzzle.
She reveals that Wynter was not killed in the game room but in Yellow room and later dragged to room 301 and then finally to the game room.
Bruce, the White House engineer, played a crucial role in moving A.B.
Wynter’s body after discovering him dead in the Yellow Room.
Initially confronting Wynter over an argument with his lover, Elsyie, Bruce found him lifeless and, fearing the consequences, decided to “clean up the mess.”
He dragged the body upstairs to the Lincoln Bedroom before it was later moved again by Tripp to the Game Room. Cupp exposes Tripp Morgan as the person who moved Wynter’s body, confirmed by his flashing red watch.
Bruce’s involvement, though suspicious, was ultimately an attempt to protect Elsyie rather than conceal a murder.
However, Tripp did not commit the murder as well. Instead, he tried to stage the scene as a suicide to protect himself.
The key to solving the mystery lies in the journal Wynter kept, where a torn page matches the note found in his pocket.
This proves that the note was not a suicide letter but something else entirely
The Killer’s Identity Revealed
The real murderer is revealed to be Lily Schumacher, the White House Social Secretary.
Detective Cupp deduces that Lily, who despised the White House’s traditional setup and had ambitions to redesign it, saw Wynter as an obstacle.
Wynter was about to expose her financial misconduct, so she took drastic measures to silence him.
Lily impersonated the President’s husband, Elliot, over the phone to lure Wynter to the Yellow Room.
There, she gave him a poisoned drink, but when he didn’t die instantly, she struck him with a heavy clock, ensuring his death.
Panicked, she later sealed a secret passage in the room to cover her tracks and also hid the clock there.
Justice is Served
Lily’s deception unravels when Detective Cupp finds the hidden clock behind the sealed door.
The overwhelming evidence leads to Lily’s arrest.
In the end, the case is solved, and justice is served, exposing not just a murder but also the corruption and personal vendettas lurking within the White House.
The Residence masterfully combines a classic murder mystery with political drama, keeping viewers engaged until the final revelation.
The meticulous investigation led by Detective Cordelia Cupp showcases her brilliance and ensures that the truth, no matter how deeply buried, ultimately comes to light.
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