I’m the first to admit that I’m not a Shonda Rhimes person. That’s not to say I wouldn’t enjoy any of the shows that have come out in the past twenty years under the famous writer/producer/showrunner’s name, it’s just that I haven’t been necessarily drawn to any of them. But I’m clearly in the minority–at least for my gender. Among the shows Rhimes is credited with bringing to American audiences are Grey’s Anatomy, Private Practice, Scandal, How to Get Away with Murder and Bridgerton, each one a huge hit, especially with women. Grey’s Anatomy, Private Practice and Scandal were so big, in fact, that Rhimes became the first woman to produce three separate TV dramas to each reach the magic 100- episode milestone, a true achievement, for anyone, not just a woman. Netflix lured Rhimes away from ABC and inked an exclusive multi-year deal with her, and the first series she gave Netflix was none other than Bridgerton, which became
a massive hit for the streaming service. But, like her previous shows, Bridgerton still seemed to aim at the same audience (not me).
Well, Netflix is hoping that Rhimes’s second original scripted series, The Residence, will have a wider appeal and, so far, so good, because it’s the first show from “Shondaland” that I actually wanted to check out. And guess what? I love it.
I guess The Residence still has all the hallmarks of a classic Shonda Rhimes-produced show: a strong female protagonist, a diverse, multi-cultural ensemble filled with against-type casting choices, fast-paced storytelling, witty dialogue and, often, a playful, soapy or over-the-top tone. But what makes it so much more appealing for me than her other shows is what it overtly DOESN’T have, and that’s an overly exaggerated attempt to appeal to a female audience. I felt like women should be almost insulted by Rhimes, by assuming she knows what they want. I mean, it seems like she does, but does she have to make TV-by-checklist? The Residence doesn’t come in hot as an exaggerated attempt to be a feminist version of something male, instead, it just spins a thoroughly entertaining yarn, packs it with a gaggle of great actors and puts one of the industry’s most captivating performers at the tip of the spear and lets it fly. And when The Residence soars, it is so much fun, I don’t really care whose name is on it.
The Residence is a murder-mystery comedy set in the White House. It stars the magnificent, multiple-Emmy Award-winning Uzo Aduba as Detective Cordelia Cupp, who is brought in to solve the murder of White House Head Usher A.B. Wynter, played by Giancarlo Esposito, who is found dead on the night of a State Dinner for the Prime Minister of Australia.
A cross between Clue, Columbo and Upstairs, Downstairs, The Residence is a wickedly fast-paced formula piece, there is totally nothing new here, and certainly there has been a glut of mercurial detective shows and movies of late, but still there is room for Aduba’s charmingly weird—but not too weird—brilliant detective who has a penchant for birdwatching and for solving murders. We all know how deep Aduba’s skills are, as evidenced by her three Emmys, two for her maniacally brilliant portrayal of Suzanne ‘Crazy Eyes’ in Orange is the New Black, and another for her subtle but moving portrayal of Shirley Chisholm in Mrs. America. Aduba’s toolbox is chock full, and she comes to play in The Residence, making full use of her tantalizing mix of daffy, distracted, bumbling, brainy, serious, silly, weird and wily, sometimes all at once, to create a character that we fully believe can solve this crime—and we’re all here for it.
Almost as good as Aduba’s performance is the playground she gets to play in, as the White House is the setting and the production values are second-to-none, from the Wes Anderson-inspired dollhouse-cutout views to the camera pans down hallways from room to room, from floor to floor, you really feel as if you are inside the most powerful residence in the country, inside all of its secrets. Every element of the production, from the production design to the cinematography to the costumes and especially the editing, is exquisitely done and deserves kudos.
But it’s the cast that will do doubt get the bulk of attention for The Residence, as it should, as this is an eye-popping cast that is so, so good. Most are names you don’t know, and they are just as good as the ones you do, but particular flowers need to go to Al Franken playing a Senator, Bronson Pinchot playing a Swiss-German pastry chef, Randall Park playing a frustrated FBI agent and Edwina Findlay playing a drunk usher. Series creator and writer Paul William Davies gives this excellent cast so much to do and they all do it with aplomb, scattering through the White House like ants through a maze. It’s sometimes a little too cutesy and often absurd, yet we are kept on the edge of our seats, and it all comes together well, thanks to the glue of Uzo Aduba’s magnetic performance and a total entertaining package that makes for a perfect maiden voyage to Shondaland.
All 8 episodes of the first season of The Residence are currently streaming on Netflix.