Could ‘The Residence’s Cordelia Return for a New Mystery? Uzo Aduba & Showrunner Weigh In

The Residence

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[Warning: The below contains MAJOR spoilers for The Residence Season 1.]

The Residence has arrived, introducing viewers to one of TV’s newest detectives, Cordelia Cupp (Uzo Aduba) who is tasked with uncovering the truth behind the mysterious death of White House Chief Usher A.B. Wynter (Giancarlo Esposito).

A consulting detective for the Metropolitan Police Department, Cordelia is called in on the evening of a big State Dinner for which the president was hosting Australia. And as viewers see over the course of eight episodes, the circumstances surrounding A.B. Wynter’s death aren’t as cut and dried as they appear to be. For those who have yet to tune in, beware of spoilers ahead.

While Cordelia cross-examines several suspects who all had a bone to pick with A.B., her initial investigation is halted by cohort FBI-appointed agent Edwin Park (Randall Park), who believes that her theories are merely theories and there’s not enough hard evidence to point a finger at anyone. But a break in the case amid congressional hearings brings the avid birder back to D.C. after a stint abroad to pick up where she left off on that October evening of A.B.’s death.

Erin Simkin / Netflix

So, who killed the White House worker? It turns out the social secretary, Lilly Schumacher (Molly Griggs), was the guilty party as Cordelia rounds up all the potential suspects and walks them through the White House, putting the pieces of that fateful evening together. The disgruntled Lilly attempted to poison A.B. and proceeded to hit him over the head with a clock that she hid in a secret passageway she eventually had closed off.

Ultimately, other workers tampered with the murder as they drew their own conclusions — moving the body around, taking items off of A.B., and lying to each other. As Cordelia puts it, their lack of communication led to this oversight. But with the case buttoned up, is there more story to tell with Cordelia, and perhaps Edwin, who despite being a nuisance to Cordelia at the start of the investigation, became a friend of sorts?

“I love thinking about the relationship that Cordelia and Edwin are forming,” Aduba tells TV Insider. “They’re in the budding phase of their friendship and have developed a shorthand between each other…  They have one great case under their belt, and I’m happy to imagine what else they might do [or] get into,” she adds.

Park echoes her sentiments, saying, “The people behind the show, working with Uzo [and] everyone was just so lovely and we had so much fun, [so] the thought of making more is just thrilling.”

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The Residence is inspired by Kate Andersen Brower’s 2016 book, The Residence: Inside the Private World of the White House, but there are no detectives in the original iteration, which uncovers true accounts shared by White House staff members. Cordelia is an invention of showrunner Paul William Davies, who could easily place her in a different murder mystery for viewers to enjoy.

But is it something he’s considered? “I would,” Davies tells TV Insider about writing more mysteries for the character. “I love Cordelia Cupp. I love writing and creating her… There are so many other stories for her, some of which I’ve thought through, some of which I have just a glimmer of an idea.”

As viewers learned in the season, Cordelia famously solved a mystery in Australia and has likely done so in other corners of the world. Davies adds, “There’s kind of a limitless amount of stories for Cordelia all over the world.” As for a dream location for a potential second season, Davies teases, “I could narrow it down to a dozen [possibilities], but beyond that, I have to see where she takes me.”

Would you like to see more from The Residence and Cordelia Cupp? And what did you think of the murderer reveal? Let us know in the comments section, below.

The Residence, Season 1, Streaming now, Netflix