Shondaland’s The Residence Hides Epic Murder Mystery Easter Eggs You Totally Missed

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The Residence” represents the most recent TV series from Shondaland, exclusively available on Netflix. It revolves around the enigmatic world of the White House’s domestic staff, centering on a gripping murder mystery.

The Residence”

In a nutshell, “The Residence” is an intelligent, engaging, and side-splitting whodunit mystery that abounds in unexpected twists and turns. This show, hailing from Shondaland, features an exceptional ensemble cast including Uzo Aduba, Giancarlo Esposito, Randall Park, among others. The narrative unfolds around a murder that takes place at a State Dinner at the White House, with our witty yet quirky detective, Cordelia Cupp (portrayed by Aduba), leading the investigation. This whodunit delves into the numerous dramas, secrets, and deceit among the staff of the White House residence.

Although this mystery isn’t adapted from any specific murder mystery novel, each episode title is borrowed from other films and classic literature. These titles are thoughtfully chosen to subtly link with the episode’s storyline.

The First Couple of Episodes Center on the Discoveries of the Crime Scene

The Titles Reference a Classic Short Story and an Iconic Crime Thriller

The murder mystery unfolds immediately, with the initial episode, titled “The Fall of the House of Usher,” revealing a major enigma. In this episode, a State Dinner is being held at the White House to welcome the Australian Prime Minister. However, the atmosphere changes dramatically when the President’s mother-in-law stumbles upon the lifeless body of A. B. Wynter, the Chief Usher of the White House, in the Game Room.

The title ‘The Fall of the House of Usher’ is fitting for this episode, as it alludes to the White House’s Chief Usher who meets a tragic end in this tale of suspense. However, it should be noted that this piece is actually a short story by Edgar Allan Poe, not a murder mystery per se. Yet, its haunting themes of Gothic atmosphere, mental instability, and solitude can certainly resonate with the Chief Usher’s life experiences.

In the second installment of “The Residence,” titled “Dial M for Murder,” Detective Cordelia Cupp continues her probe into the demise of A. B. Wynter. By examining various leads and testimonies, she finds a peculiar point that intrigues her: an enigmatic phone call Wynter received on the night he died. However, what makes this case more chilling is that after this call, Wynter foresaw his own fate.

In “Dial M for Murder,” a renowned film featuring a pivotal telephone call leading to a murder scheme, we find ourselves engrossed. Similarly, in “The Residence,” the fateful phone call A. B. Wynter received on the night of his demise holds significant weight, as it was this call that set him on the path to his tragic end. The title “Dial M for Murder” is fittingly apt for this episode, not only because it echoes a famous crime movie but also underscores the crucial role the phone call Wynter received played in the storyline.

Episodes Three and Four Explore the Many Secrets of the Staff

The Titles Reference Two Critically Acclaimed Murder Mystery Movies

In the third installment of “The Residence,” titled “Knives Out,” I find myself squarely in the midst of a heated drama. As the Executive Pastry Chef at the White House, Didier Gotthard, a key figure under suspicion, had a tumultuous relationship with the Executive Chef, Marvella. This, in turn, placed me, as the Chief Usher A. B. Wynter, in an awkward position, compelled to pick a side to maintain harmony within our prestigious home.

In more recent times, there’s been a widespread opinion that this development breathed new life into the genre. The title is fitting, considering a key discovery in the episode revolves around knives. Initially, a sweets replica of A. B. Wynter, crafted by Gotthard, was uncovered with a tiny knife concealed at the back. However, the most significant disclosure and connection to knives unfolds as the episode unveils that Gotthard discovered A. B. Wynter’s corpse in the Game Room, a knife of Gotthard’s beside him, which Gotthard had taken before Wynter’s body was found.

Episode four, titled “‘The Last of Sheila,’” uncovers yet another mystery within the White House residence staff circle. This time, it’s none other than Sheila Cannon, a member of the White House butler team, who steps forward with a surprising revelation. It turns out that she too was present in the Game Room on the fateful night. However, she wasn’t around when A. B. Wynter’s body was discovered in the Game Room. Her presence in the room earlier did help clarify some of Cordelia Cupp’s queries regarding the crime scene details.

The film “The Last of Sheila” revolves around a complex murder mystery set within a lethal game of intrigue. This game unfolds following the demise of gossip columnist Sheila Greene, who met her end in a hit-and-run incident. Although Sheila Cannon isn’t the victim in “The Residence”, she shares the same gossipy nature as the Sheila from “The Last of Sheila”, establishing an intriguing link between the two narratives.

Episodes Five and Six Focus on Two Important Characters

The Titles of These Episodes Reference the Relevant Characters

In the novel “The Residence” by A. B. Wynter, numerous key characters make an appearance at different points. However, among all, Harry Hollinger, the President’s top advisor, stands out as a prime suspect throughout the series. Notably, episode five of “The Residence“, named “The Trouble with Harry,” delves deeply into this significant character.

The Trouble with Harry – A Black Comedy Film

This film, titled “The Trouble with Harry,” isn’t your typical murder mystery. Although a corpse and a crime are involved, the narrative isn’t centered around solving the mystery of who killed Harry. Instead, the focus lies in the quirky inhabitants of a small village and their peculiar responses to finding the lifeless body of a man named Harry.

“The Trouble with Harry,” as seen in “The Residence,” delves more into the personal struggles and reactions of the townsfolk towards Harry Hollinger, rather than just Harry Hollinger himself. The film serves as an exploration of how people deal with the unexpected presence of a dead body within their community.

In essence, it’s a story that revolves around the ripple effects of Harry Hollinger’s death on the lives and minds of those who knew him, as much as it is about Harry Hollinger himself.

In episode six titled “The Third Man,” the narrative centers around an enigmatic figure who managed to gatecrash the White House State Dinner without raising any suspicion. This unknown individual has piqued everyone’s interest as they attempt to uncover his identity and the means by which he entered and exited the White House undetected. Interestingly, it is revealed that this is not the first time such an incident has occurred; he is referred to as the “third man” who managed to crash the State Dinner.

As a cinema enthusiast, I can confidently say that The Third Man is one of the all-time great films for me. In this captivating tale, I find myself following the footsteps of author Holly Martins who delves into the enigma surrounding the death of his friend. What makes this story even more intriguing is the emergence of a “third man,” who played a pivotal role in transporting the body. In The Residence, the narrative artfully references this classic film by depicting an individual reminiscent of the third man carrying A. B. Wynter’s body.

Episodes Seven and Eight Bring the Truth to Light

The Titles Reference Iconic Detective Stories

In the penultimate episode of The Residence, titled “The Adventure of the Engineer’s Thumb,” the focus shifts towards a new potential culprit. A White House engineer named Bruce Geller finds himself at the heart of the mystery as A. B. Wynter’s keys were discovered on him. However, Bruce has an astonishing confession to make: he discovered A. B. Wynter’s lifeless body in the Yellow Oval Room, not in the Game Room, but it was already clear that Wynter had passed away before his arrival.

In “The Adventure of the Engineer’s Thumb,” a Sherlock Holmes short story found within “The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes,” an engineer narrates a sequence of peculiar occurrences to detective Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson, much like how the White House engineer tells about the events of A. B. Wynter’s murder night to Detective Cordelia Cupp and FBI Special Agent Edwin Park in “The Residence.

Title of the last episode of The Residence is “The Enigma of the Yellow Room.” In this episode, Cordelia Cupp unravels the enigma and delivers her conclusions, exposing who murdered A. B. Wynter. Gathering all the primary suspects, she initiates a tour of the White House residence, reminiscing about various occurrences and disclosures, concluding in the Yellow Oval Room. It was in this room that the crime actually occurred, despite A. B. Wynter being found later in the Game Room.

Gaston Leroux penned ‘The Mystery of the Yellow Room,’ a widely debated murder mystery novel that’s considered a classic. The story revolves around a puzzle where a criminal vanishes from a locked room, leaving no trace. Although it shares the color ‘yellow’ in its title with an episode of ‘The Residence,’ ‘The Mystery of the Yellow Room’ is not simply a title for the final episode due to this similarity. Instead, it’s because the perplexing manner in which A.B. Wynter was murdered and left the White House residence staff undetected, presenting an almost unsolvable mystery that brilliantly concludes ‘The Residence’ with a surprising and intelligent twist.

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2025-04-28 23:07