The Residence Season 1 Ending Explained

The Residence on Netflix turned out to be a whodunit, and the eight-episode series came to a head with a big reveal at the end. The White House, the renowned residence of the President of the United States, was the scene of a murder, which is what made this humorous mystery so distinctive. White House Chief Usher A.B. Wynter, who oversaw staff management and maintained harmony with the First Family and their personal staff, was the individual whose body was discovered in the opulent game room. The best of the best, Detective Cordelia Cupp, was called in to solve this mystery.

The murder of Wynter took place in The Residence, the White House's upper floors, while a disastrous state dinner was taking place downstairs. Finding out which of the 132 rooms they used and which of the 157 visitors and housekeeping staff could have done it was a difficult task for Cordelia. When Cordelia learned that a sizable minority had declared Wynter their enemy that evening, the situation became even more complicated. Was it the rival White House chefs in the Blue Room, then, who were violent? Maybe the housekeeper or the engineer? None of the above, of course, as The Residence showed.

In the house, who killed A.B. Wynter?

At the conclusion of The Residence, detective Cordelia Cupp disclosed that A.B. Wynter was killed by White House social secretary Lilly Schumacher. Cupp led the last important players through the White House in the Netflix series' last episode, following Wynter's movements and interactions with the different staff members, all of whom she knew had the potential to kill the usher. She was unable to watch how each "interesting" party (Cordelia never liked to use the word "suspect") responded until they landed in the Yellow Oval Room.

Lily Schumacher made every effort to conceal her crime, even going so far as to confess to certain facts that gave the impression that she was a sympathetic murderous co-conspirator. She said she attempted to protect the couple after witnessing Wynter being murdered by housekeeper Elsyie Chayle and engineer Bruce Geller. Cordelia knew better, though. The detective realized that Lilly had given a "blink," which meant that she was guilty of the crime herself and had concealed the proof behind a secret door that was now sealed off.

How the Mystery Was Solved by Detective Cordelia Cupp

The fact that so many people had motives for killing Wynter and that so many people appeared to have tampered with his body contributed to the murder's difficulty in the Netflix series. Cordelia concluded that the murder had taken place in the Yellow Oval Room despite the fact that the body had been moved twice. Here the detective had found the charred flowers and the tiny dents in the plasterboard where a vace had been flung and broken. Cordelia discovered that the greenhouse tumbler had been used to transport toxic paraquat into the White House when she found it in the adjacent room.

Cordelia deduced from all of these hints that someone had tried to poison Wynter by putting paraquat in his drink. But the man soon realized this after taking one swig, and he poured the alcohol and paraquat mixture over a bouquet of flowers. The murderer then threw a vase, which struck Wynter's face with cuts but missed and smashed against the wall. Lastly, the murderer struck Wynter's skull in the back with a clock that was on the mantle. After concealing the clock in the hidden compartment, they made arrangements to have the secret door closed.

Lilly acknowledged that she had sealed the hidden door, but she insisted that it was done to keep Bruce and Elsyie safe. But Cordelia's discovery and reading of Wynter's journals, which detailed Lilly's numerous crimes (establishing a motive), was unknown to the White House social secretary. All Cordelia had to do to prove Lilly's guilt was to unveil the secret clock inside the compartment.

An explanation of Lilly Schumacher's motivation for killing A.B. Wynter

The Residence made it abundantly evident that Lilly Schumacher was a terrible person. The White House social secretary, as Cordelia noted, had no regard for the customs of the POTUS's household and made every effort to upend everything. Despite his traditionalist views, Wynter cherished all that the White House stood for. Naturally, this resulted in a falling out between Lilly and Wynter. Lilly detested the usher, and since the woman had virtually no morals, she had no problem eliminating a rival. There was a little more to it, though.

Cordelia deduced that the lengthy lists of different numbers and acronyms in Wynter's journals were a record of all of Lilly's money laundering activities while she was working in the White House. Wynter threatened to tell the POTUS that she had been stealing a little (or a lot) here and there. This infuriated Lilly, who tore a page from the usher's journal in her rage. She didn't realize the page she had stolen read like a suicide note until she was out of Wynter's office. This gave rise to an idea, and Lilly initiated a sinister scheme, which the White House family and employees unwittingly supported.

The reasons behind each person's removal of Wynter's body or evidence from the house

After killing Wynter in the Yellow Oval Room of the White House, Lilly Schumacher was horrified to find the man's body missing. She started to ask everyone in the mansion, including Cordelia, if they had seen A.B. Wynter. Lilly honestly had no idea that Wynter was lying dead in the game room, which is why she hadn't appeared to be a suspect. Lily almost got away with it because of the different people who moved the body from one location to another. The following individuals, in order, are responsible for moving Wynter's body or evidence:

• Elsyie Chayle - Elysie had been fighting with Wynter only moments before and returned to find him dead. She, unthinking, grabbed the fallen candlestick and ran off with it, realizing it made her look guilty.
• Bruce Geller - Bruce saw Elysie run from the Yellow Oval Room with the candlestick and assumed that she had killed Wynter. Since he loved her, Bruce dragged the body to Room 301 and cleaned up the remaining mess.
• Tripp Morgan: Wynter's body was on the floor of room 301 when Trip woke up from his nap. He dragged the body to the game room in a panic, then sliced Wynter's wrists with one of Chef Didier Gotthard's knives to make it appear as though he had committed suicide.
• Chef Didier Gotthard - The pastry chef identified his own knife on the floor after discovering Wynter's body in the game room. Detective Cordelia discovered it after he snatched it, placed it in a kitchen box, and tossed it into the damaged incinerator.

How Season 2 of The Residence Is Set Up by the End of Season 1

At the end of The Residence, everything appeared to be settled at the White House with Lilly arrested and Wynter's murder solved. On her final visit, Cordelia stopped by the First Gentleman's mother, Nan Cox, who it turned out knew who had killed Wynter all along. Cordelia left after that, apparently with no intention of coming back. Of course, there is a good chance that a new set of issues will arise with the next President and First Family. Cordelia will undoubtedly be called upon again, and this may not be the last murder at the White House.

However, a second season of The Residence was not specifically hinted at, and if it were to air, it would not necessarily need to take place at the White House. The second season of The Residence might take place at another renowned residence, such as Graceland or Buckingham Palace. There are practically limitless options. Detective Cordelia Cupp will undoubtedly be needed again—somewhere—even though Wynter's case was closed.