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Starring Uzo Aduba, Jason Lee, Ken Marino, and others, The Residence is a murder mystery and comedy drama series created by Paul William Davies, which is based on a nonfiction book by Kate Andersen Brower. The show premiered on Netflix on March 20, 2025, and has received positive reviews. The show is about a detective, Cordelia Cupp, who is brought to investigate a murder that has taken place at the White House during a state dinner. Filled with pop culture references, the show has some interesting hints that fans might have overlooked. Here are ten of them.
The Betty Ford portrait, the significance of birds, and other subtle hints in The Residence
1. Stories from the White House
Created by Paul William Davies, The Residence is a murder mystery based on a nonfiction book by Kate Andersen Brower, which Davies was heavily inspired by. Therefore, even though the plot of the show is purely fictional, some real-life instances have been strewn throughout the show. For example, Davies has inserted various anecdotes by the real occupants of the White House, which guests and staff have passed on over the years. In the show, the first family is seen faking a guest room renovation to prevent outside guests from staying over in the house. This is something that Jackie Kennedy did in real life. Another example that has been made into a plot point in the show is when it highlights how the McCutcheons have been working at the White House for generations. There was a real life Ficklin family that served the presidents through multiple generations. Finally, President Morgan in the series is shown to be particular about water pressure, which has been inspired by the habits of former President Lyndon B. Johnson.
2. The Betty Ford portrait
The creators of The Residence made sure that some subtle and not-so-direct references were also incorporated throughout the series. During one of the episodes, Detective Cordelia Cupp and Agent Park are interviewing the White House butler, Sheila Cannon, as part of the murder investigation. Cannon reveals that the First Gentleman’s mother, Nan Cox, used to suffer from alcohol usage and its disorder. Hilariously, Sheila also admits to having indulged during the State Dinner. While this might seem like an inconsequential point, it has some significance as Cannon is standing right in front of former President Gerald Ford’s wife, Betty Ford’s painting. The painting was made by Felix De Cossio in 1977, and viewers who know about the Presidential history might recall that the former First Lady used to suffer from substance use disorders herself and was candid about her struggles. She even founded the Betty Ford Center in California to help people with drug abuse. The scene, therefore, is a tribute to her legacy.
3. The significance behind the third floor
Davies has made sure that almost all the private parts of the White House are explored in The Residence, something that is rarely done in pop culture. The third floor has important significance in the series and real life. This is the floor where the President’s temporary and permanent guests live. Therefore, the series showcases how President Morgan’s mother-in-law, his advisor, and other people live here. There is also a game room on this floor, which is present in the real-life White House and is the inspiration for Davies to create the show in the first place. In the series, this is the room where Nan finds AB’s body. The makers of the show made sure that the game room had a sense of eeriness and used charcoal grey to represent darkness. The room and the floor, therefore, provide subtle hints about what is going to come.
4. The episode titles
Creator Davies is a huge fan of murder mysteries, and he got the opportunity to pay tribute to his favorite whodunit influences by playing around with the episode titles of The Residence and leaving subtle hints within them. For example, the first episode reveals Chief Usher A.B. Wynter’s body, and the episode is therefore aptly titled, “The Fall of the House of Usher”, which is a story by Edgar Allan Poe. Similarly, the third episode focuses on a missing knife, and the title of the episode is therefore taken from Rian Johnson’s murder mystery, “Knives Out”. The second episode’s title, “Dial M for Murder”, pays homage to the veteran director Alfred Hitchcock’s movie, and the episode focuses on tracing a mystery phone call. Other instances include the sixth episode being referenced from the 1949 movie, “The Third Man,” and the final episode making a reference to Gaston Leroux’s 1907 book, “The Mystery of the Yellow Room”. Therefore, each episode title has a hidden meaning, which provides hints about the murder plot.
5. The Oval Office
Fans of the White House might have noticed that even though The Residence goes inside the inner workings of the house and strives hard to provide an accurate portrait of the lesser-known areas of the White House, it does not showcase the non-residential and political areas like the East and the West Wings. As a light-hearted murder-mystery, the show steers away from showcasing or discussing hardline politics and, therefore, does not show the working areas of the White House. Even though the Yellow Oval Room is an important part of the series, the other Oval Room is not mentioned or seen. As creator Davies wanted to focus on the day-to-day life of the house’s staff and guests, the show, therefore, only focuses on the behind-the-scenes area. The show is primarily occupied with addressing state dinner, the murder, and the employee drama.
6. Other tributes
Apart from the references to murder mystery works in the episode titles, Davies also made sure that there are some easter eggs strewn across the episodes of The Residence as well, which only the keen and knowledgeable eye can detect. From classic authors and filmmakers to writers, there are some interesting references to pop culture across the series. For example, Elsyie’s daughter is shown reading the famous Agatha Christie novel, “The Murder of Roger Ackroyd”, which is a homage to the queen of crime novels herself. Similarly, Nan Cox comes across the movie “Terror by Night”, which is from 1946 and features Sherlock Holmes, one of the most famous detectives in literary history. Coming back to Christie, Detective Cupp and Agent Park also refer to the author’s other novel, Murder on the Orient Express. These references not only add an interest for the viewers but it also imbibe the series with a whodunit atmosphere.
7. The party crashers reference
Another subtle reference in The Residence is when Cordelia Cupp is informed by a few guests and staff members that two socialites, Valentina and Lorenzo Motta, gate-crashed the State Dinner during the evening. Even though Cupp is initially ignorant of the significance of this gate-crashing, it does have a subtle reference to a real-life case. Fans of “The Real Housewives of DC” might remember that the show’s alum, Michaele Salahi and her husband, Tareq Salahi, had allegedly gate-crashed former President Barack Obama’s first State Dinner and they had not been invited. This scandal from 2009 therefore, finds a reference in the series. Further, Valentina is wearing a red gown like Michaele, which makes this reference more believable. While the creators of the show have not confirmed this reference, there are striking similarities, which avid viewers might recollect.
8. The basement
Similar to how the third floor has significance in The Residence, so does the basement. The basement of the White House has never been portrayed in pop culture and it therefore allowed Davies and his crew to heighten the mystery of the series through such spaces. While the upper floors are adorned in bright colors and luxurious tapestry, the basement is like a bare wall. This area of the house is important because the series is about the staff of the White House, which keeps the show running. The basement is their space, and it, therefore, has significance in the series. Viewers get to see the electricians and the housekeepers and the hustle and bustle. The area is in shades of gray, brown, and green, and it is a bit unkept. The basement highlights the other more vibrant parts of the house in contrast.
9. The important of birds
Birds are an important motif in The Residence. The show heavily uses them as a plot point and to outline Detective Cordelia Cupp’s character. As many other famous fictional detectives have their quirks, so does Cordelia. Her favorite passion is birdwatching and the show immediately showcases from the beginning that Cordelia takes up the job of finding the murderer because she views the White House as the ideal spot for birdwatching. Cupp’s passion for birdwatching also highlights that the detective likes to be meticulous, patient, and detail-oriented. Like a falcon, she has a sharp eye for detail and does not miss even a small clue. The show regularly features scenes where the viewers are viewing the White House from the eyes of a falcon that is circling the building. Cupp often uses birds to explain human behavior and shares interesting facts with people. The series also features actual birds, bird designs in Nan’s wallpaper, and St. Pierre’s clothing.
10. The creator’s cameo
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Creator Paul William Davies also makes an interesting appearance in The Residence as the 30th President of the US, Calvin Coolidge. Inspired by the master of whodunits, Alfred Hitchcock, who loved starring in his movies, Davies also seems to relish making a cameo in the series. In the third episode, Davies appears as Coolidge and is seen enjoying a Bananas Foster, which the dessert pastry chef, Didier Gotthard, wanted to serve for the state dinner. Davies also made sure that Al Franken from SNL was there in the series to portray Washington Senior Senator, Aaron Filkins. Filkins was the real-life Minnesota Senator who was in office from 2009 to 2018. The creator of the show has, therefore, made sure that his inspirations are present throughout the entire murder and mystery show in some subtle ways.
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