( ENSPIRE Entertainment ) One Season, Big Impact: Uzo Aduba and Shonda Rhimes Deliver a Mystery Worth Remembering
ENSPIRE Contributor: Sydney N. Culpepper
Photo Credit: Charley Gallay / CBR / Erin Simkin (Netflix)
Netflix’s murder mystery series The Residence, written by Shonda Rhimes, premiered on March 20, 2025. Fans are upset to discover that the show has been discontinued after only one season—but despite the short run, it left behind a trail of strong performances, bold storytelling, and a lead character that many viewers won’t soon forget.
Starring Uzo Aduba as Cordelia Cupp, a detective tasked with solving the murder of the White House Chief Usher, the series kicked off with a chilling murder at a State Dinner, leaving guests shocked and the political elite scrambling for answers. Her methods were anything but ordinary, but Cordelia’s razor-sharp instincts and unshakable resolve made her a force to be reckoned with. With a killer reputation and a mind for detail, Cordelia Cupp earned her nickname as “The World’s Best Detective.”
Uzo Aduba (Credit: Charley Gallay)
According to inside reports, The Residence faced several challenges behind the scenes: a high production budget, low viewership in its first month, and internal disagreements that made sustaining the show difficult. Even with strong anticipation surrounding its debut—fueled by Shonda Rhimes’ proven success with Scandal and How to Get Away with Murder—the series struggled to maintain numbers that could justify its cost.
Still, many fans were drawn to the show’s “slow burn” approach. While some viewers found the pace slower than expected, others appreciated its intellectual edge and detailed unraveling of the mystery. Critics praised Aduba’s performance, calling it one of her strongest to date. However, some reviews described the plot as “overly complex” for casual audiences looking for an easy binge. Unlike other Shondaland series, The Residence didn’t focus on romantic subplots or character entanglements—instead, it prioritized the case, the clues, and the mind behind the investigation.
Shonda Rhimes (Credit: CBR)
To make matters worse for loyal fans, the show ended on a small cliffhanger. While the murder itself was solved, there were unanswered questions about Cordelia Cupp’s future and a few unresolved storylines that left viewers feeling robbed of closure.
Netflix has not released an official statement beyond confirming the cancellation, leaving fans to wonder what could have been. Even so, The Residence gave audiences a detective drama that dared to be different—complex, calculated, and centered on a Black female lead who owned every scene she stepped into.
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