“The Residence” introduces Uzo Aduba’s Cordelia Cupp from a distance and in the dark, as she stares at a high, faraway point through binoculars, standing on the White House lawn. Cupp, a world-famous detective, is overdue for her latest consulting gig. A murder has taken place during a poorly organized state dinner for the Australian delegation.
But Cordelia is an obsessive birdwatcher, and that always comes first — even at night. A detective in the tradition of Benoit Blanc and other modern descendants of the Agatha Christie whodunnit, she knows she’s usually the smartest person in the room and has no time for idiocy. Besides, all bodies stay put. Most birds only stay still for moments.
