The Residence, the ambitious Netflix murder mystery executive produced by Shonda Rhimes and starring Emmy-winner Uzo Aduba, has been officially canceled after just one season—despite positive reviews and a strong start in the streamer’s Top 10 rankings.
The series, which premiered on March 20, 2025, followed detective Cordelia Cupp (Aduba), touted as “the greatest detective in the world,” as she unraveled a murder inside the White House during a high-stakes state dinner. A rare blend of political drama, whodunnit, and social satire, The Residence was initially received with excitement and appeared to be a promising new flagship for Rhimes’ Shondaland empire.
But on Wednesday, July 2, Netflix confirmed that both The Residence and its fellow freshman drama Pulse would not be returning for second seasons. While Pulse, a medical procedural, failed to gain critical traction, The Residence was largely praised for its production quality, performances, and intriguing concept. Nonetheless, it fell victim to what now seems to be a familiar pattern in the era of bottom-line-focused streaming: high cost and a finale that didn’t quite land.
A Star-Studded, High-Cost Gamble
The show boasted a heavyweight ensemble: Randall Park, Giancarlo Esposito, Ken Marino, Isiah Whitlock Jr., Susan Kelechi Watson, and Jane Curtin rounded out a cast that delivered both drama and humor. Netflix spared no expense in building a nearly full-scale replica of the White House across seven sound stages at Raleigh Studios in Los Angeles. The set featured 132 rooms, 10 miles of molding, and 200 functional doors — a clear investment in visual authenticity and cinematic scope.
However, that ambitious scale may have ultimately contributed to the show’s early demise. With streaming platforms tightening budgets and reining in experimental one-season wonders, The Residence faced an uphill battle to justify its return.
“This isn’t Netflix circa 2021,” noted The Hollywood Reporter. “These days, the bottom line is the bottom line.”
What Went Wrong?
For all its glitz and acclaim, The Residence faltered at the finish line. Though it spent four consecutive weeks on Netflix’s Global Top 10 chart, peaking at No. 2 behind juggernaut Adolescence, the show’s season finale disappointed both critics and fans. Where a classic whodunnit invites viewers to connect clues and anticipate the reveal, The Residence left audiences guessing without enough information to play along.
And then there was the ending-ending — a perplexing and anticlimactic scene involving Aduba’s character returning to the White House to chat with the president’s mother-in-law, Nan Cox, rather than offer any narrative closure or fan service.
Even running gags, like the ongoing mentions of a mysterious Hugh Jackman cameo that never materialized, began to feel like red herrings with no real purpose.
What Could Have Been
Had the show been renewed, Netflix planned to turn The Residence into an anthology series, with Cordelia Cupp tackling a new high-profile case each season. That idea now joins a long list of unrealized streaming dreams — shows with potential, cut short by production cost and lukewarm follow-through.
Still, Aduba’s performance earned widespread acclaim and further solidified her reputation as a leading force in drama. For many fans, The Residence marked another milestone in Black women leading complex, genre-bending television stories.
A Familiar Pattern
The cancellation of The Residence underscores an emerging trend in streaming TV: even when shows win over viewers and critics, costs, not creativity, are the deciding factor.
As Netflix and its competitors continue to pivot toward profitability, high-concept dramas with expensive sets and ensemble casts — especially those that don’t deliver a flawless ending — are becoming increasingly vulnerable to the axe.
