Netflix’s “The Residence” White House Murder Mystery: An Explanation of the Surprise Twist Ending
Warning: Spoilers ahead for The Residence.
Executive producer is shifting gears from to a less romantic and more deceptive storyline with The Residence.
Paul William Davies (Scandal, For the People) created, wrote, and produced this new series. All eight episodes are now available for streaming. The plot revolves around the investigation and Senate hearings following the death of White House Chief Usher A.B. Wynter (Andre Braugher). Wynter died on the night President Perry Morgan (Paul Fitzgerald) and First Gentleman Elliott Morgan (Barrett Foa) hosted a state dinner for Australia.
After Elliott’s mother discovers A.B.’s body in the Game Room on the third floor, detective Cordelia Cupp (Uzo Aduba), an enthusiastic birdwatcher, is brought in by Maryland Police Department Chief Larry Dokes (Isiah Whitlock Jr.). The show alternates between the night of the murder and the hearings. This reveals different perspectives from White House residents, guests, and staff members, piecing together the events of that evening.
The Residence maintains suspense until the very end, revealing the culprit and their motives in the final moments of the extended finale.
Who killed A.B. Wynter?
The final episode of The Residence, titled “The Mystery of the Yellow Room,” starts by revisiting the night of the state dinner. It shows A.B.’s perspective, leading up to when he entered the Yellow Oval Room where he was killed.
In the present, Cordelia presents her findings to the Senate committee overseeing the hearings. She recounts how she solved the murder after discovering new clues at the White House. Cordelia gathers all suspects and explains what she has already uncovered.
While A.B. was killed in the Yellow Room, engineer Bruce Geller (Mel Rodriguez) moved the body to the Lincoln Bedroom before taking him to Room 301, a room falsely advertised to be under renovation. There, he placed him next to a sleeping Tripp Morgan (Jason Lee), the president’s brother. Bruce did this to protect his love interest, housekeeper Elsyie Chayle (Julieth Restrepo), who had argued with A.B. earlier that night. When Tripp awoke next to A.B., he moved the body to the Game Room. Fearing blame, Tripp stole a knife from pastry chef Didier Gotthard’s (Bronson Pinchot) office and slit A.B.’s wrists to stage a suicide.
However, none of those people were the actual killer. Cordelia realizes that a painting was placed in the Yellow Room to conceal a newly walled-off passageway to the Treaty Room. This allows her to identify the killer: White House social secretary Lilly Schumacher (Molly Griggs).
Lilly, a wealthy heiress, despises the White House, its history, traditions, and staff. She wants to transform the residence, both structurally and symbolically. She dislikes A.B. because he embodies everything she hates; he loves and values the house and its people. After finding A.B.’s journal, Cordelia realizes he documented Lilly’s misbehavior, including her misappropriation of funds and ethical violations in securing contracts and trading favors.
On the night of the state dinner, Lilly discovered A.B. planned to expose her. After grabbing the incriminating journal in A.B.’s hand, she noticed a scrap of paper that could be taken as a suicide note. She decided to kill A.B. and make it look like suicide.
First, she obtained the pesticide paraquat from the White House gardening shed. She called A.B. and asked him to meet her in the Yellow Room. Then, impersonating the First Gentleman, she called the Secret Service and ordered them to clear the second floor. She returned the journal page to A.B., slipped poison into his scotch, and then realized he hadn’t drunk enough to die. Finally, she killed him by hitting him with a large clock from the mantle. She escaped through the Treaty Room passageway and hid the clock in a secret compartment before the rest of the night’s events occurred.
The ending is intricate, but it highlights the show’s message: the American institution that A.B. represents is worth fighting for. Whether viewers agree with this sentiment during these times remains to be seen.