The Residence - The Fall of the House of Usher
Presented through flashback during a congressional hearing from various witnesses, the first episode of The Residence introduces us to world famous bird aficionado and investigator Cordelia Cupp (Uzo Aduba) called in after the head usher (Giancarlo Esposito) of the White House if found dead in the residence during a diplomatic dinner with Australians. While the President's lead advisor (Ken Marino) is quick to call it a suicidal and attempt to sweep everything under the rug, our detective, whose lackadaisical style only infuriates him more, discovers discrepancies with such an easy explanation.
The structure of the show, including the hearing which often gets off-track to the commentary of one of the Senators, works quite well. I particularly enjoy the highlights of the White House itself, both in Jasmine (Susan Kelechi Watson) explaining the layout to Cordelia but also in the cutaway effect showcasing the many, many rooms of the White House and how they are all connected. It's a terrific choice that not only adds context to events but style as well. Far from convinced that what she's seen is a a suicide (when she's not sneaking off to do some birding), Cordelia finds a rather large clue at the end of the episode (which will become a pattern for the series).
- Title: The Residence - The Fall of the House of Usher
- IMDb: link
