Top 10 Hidden References We Missed in The Residence

#10: Episode Titles

For showrunner Paul William Davies, “The Residence” gave him the chance to pay homage to his favorite murder-mystery influences. Episode 1 shows the discovery of Chief Usher A. B. Wynter’s body, and is aptly titled after Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Fall of the House of Usher.” Episode 2 is partly about tracing a mystery phone call, taking its name from Alfred Hitchcock’s 1954 thriller “Dial M for Murder.” Episode 3 centers on a missing knife, a reference to Rian Johnson’s 2019 whodunnit “Knives Out.” Episode 4 mainly focuses on Sheila Cannon, making the 1973 film “The Last of Sheila” a perfect title. Episode 5, in which Harry Hollinger becomes a suspect, is titled after the 1955 dark comedy “The Trouble with Harry.” Episode 6 comes from the 1949 film noir “The Third Man,” with Episode 7 inspired by the 1892 Sherlock Holmes short story “The Adventure of the Engineer's Thumb.” The finale references Gaston Leroux’s 1907 book “The Mystery of the Yellow Room.”

#9: Presidential Cameo

Speaking of Davies, in the third episode, he takes a page from legendary filmmaker Alfred Hitchcock and makes a cameo as Calvin Coolidge, the 30th President of the United States. This quick cutaway scene shows him enjoying Bananas Foster, the dessert pastry chef Didier Gotthard[a] wanted to serve for the state dinner. Davies also made a cool casting choice with “SNL” alum Al Franken as Washington Senior Senator Aaron Filkins. The real-life former Minnesota Senator served from 2009 to 2018.

#8: Party Crashers

Cordelia Cupp initially overlooked one of many things that went wrong on the night of the state dinner. A few guests and staff members tell her about two people, socialites Valentina and Lorenzo Motta[b], crashing the event. Some fans of “The Real Housewives of D.C.” were reminded of the 2009 scandal with alum Michaele Salahi [c]and husband Tareq Salahi[d]. It was alleged the then-couple attended President Barack Obama’s first state dinner, despite not being invited. Valentina’s also wearing a red gown like Michaele. This reference is so far unconfirmed by the creators, but even if unintentional, the similarities are undeniable.

#7: An Abundance of Birds

Cordelia Cupp has instantly become a beloved fictional detective, and like all great sleuths, her talent for solving unsolvable crimes stems from her quirks. Her love of bird-watching, a passion that requires patience and tons of research, informs the way she investigates. She’s falcon-like in her sharp eye for detail and ability to hone in on a suspect or piece of evidence. Cordelia often uses birds to explain human behavior and regularly shares facts with the people around her. The show does feature actual birds but bird designs also appear in places like Nan’s wallpaper and St. Pierre’s clothing. Hopefully, viewers found the bird motif interesting, unlike some of the characters.

#6: Real White House Stories

While “The Residence” tells a fictional story of murder and mayhem, the idea originated from a nonfiction book. Davies was inspired to create the series after reading “The Residence: Inside the Private World of the White House” by Kate Andersen Brower. He inserted various anecdotes about real accounts of the occupants, guests, and staff members over the years. Some stories were made into plot points, such as the First Family faking a guest room renovation to keep people from staying over, which former First Lady Jackie Kennedy apparently did in real life. President Morgan is rather particular about water pressure, supposedly mirroring former president Lyndon B. Johnson. Davies also took inspiration from the real-life Ficklin family, who had multiple generations working at the White House, much like the three generations of McCutcheons, in this case all named George.

#5: White House Design Accuracy

Even for people who haven’t seen it all in person, it’s evident that the White House set of “The Residence” looks great on-screen. The show didn’t film in Washington, D.C., but instead used soundstages in Los Angeles. Production designer François Audouy[e] managed to recreate these historical places, including the Yellow Oval Room, the Red Room, the Green Room, the Blue Room, the Treaty Room, the Lincoln Bedroom, and the State Dining Room. Everything from the wallpaper and furniture to books and dinner plates are highly detailed. For accurate decor, production even sourced or recreated artwork that might look familiar to anyone who's visited the White House. White House consultant Haley Rivero O’Connor also provided details for un-photographed areas like the basement and staff offices.

#4: Betty Ford Portrait

When White House Butler Sheila Cannon is interviewed by Detective Cupp and Agent Park, she tells them about the First Gentleman’s mother, Nan Cox, and her alcohol use disorder. Sheila eventually admits that she also indulged during the State Dinner. Behind her is a portrait of President Gerald Ford’s wife Betty, painted by Felix De Cossio in 1977. The former First Lady of the United States was candid about her personal struggles with substance use disorders and co-founded the Betty Ford Center in California. While this framing may have been unintentional, it’s a nice nod to her legacy.

#3: No Oval Office

Even though “The Residence” is set in the White House, the creators opted out of discussing politics and didn’t mention any political parties. In fact, they avoided the non-residential areas like the East and West Wings altogether. The Yellow Oval Room plays a major role in the show but did you notice we never see the other oval-shaped room? Similar to its source material, Davies wanted to focus on the inner workings of the residence staff. The state dinner, employee drama, and the eventual murder of A.B. Wynter all take place in the same behind-the-scenes areas, so it makes sense that we wouldn’t venture into other rooms, even the room.

#2: Murder-Mystery Homages

In addition to episode titles, Davies also peppered references and easter eggs of legendary authors, writers, and filmmakers throughout the show, beginning with some name drops. Nan Cox comes across the 1946 film “Terror by Night,” featuring Sherlock Holmes, arguably the most famous fictional detective in history. Agatha Christie, known for iconic literary detectives Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple, gets a few mentions. Elsyie[f]’s daughter is shown reading her 1926 novel “The Murder of Roger Ackroyd.” Chief Dokes[g], Detective Cupp, and Agent Park also discuss 1934’s “Murder on the Orient Express” and its film adaptations.

#1: One Big Clue Board

As we’ve discussed, “The Residence” has various references to genre classics. However, one of the first things about the many rooms of the actual White House that caught Davies’ intrigue was how much it sounded like a Clue board. Designed and manufactured in the 1940s, the murder mystery game is set inside a mansion featuring nine rooms as potential crime scenes. The show has similarly themed rooms, including a game room, dining room, kitchen, and library, along with secret passageways. A knife plays a post-mortem role in Wynter’s death and engineer Bruce Geller sees Elsyie leave the Yellow Oval Room holding a candlestick, two of the six weapons in Clue. The physicality of the characters is also reminiscent of the 1985 “Clue” film adaptation.

Did you catch any of the details? Share your findings in the comments below.

[a]dee-dee-ay GOE-th-ard
[b]MOE-tuh
[c]mi-KEL suh-LAH-hee: https://youtu.be/Hvj2LnuRYyM?si=MxU8sA0y8oQ9uz-H
[d]TAH-reck
[e]ODD-wee: https://youtu.be/A6UeLqUpugg?si=4y4dqlLn-NDuGjG0&t=17
[f]Elsie
[g]DOE-ks