7 Years After The Finale, Netflix’s New Shonda Rhimes Political Mystery Show Is A Great Replacement For Scandal

adminMarch 22, 2025

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Following the finale of Scandal in 2018, the new Shondaland show, The Residence, is finally taking audiences back to the White House with a completely new story. The Residence centers on a White House state dinner gone wrong when the White House Chief Usher is found dead. The Residence‘s cast is led by Uzo Aduba as the talented and witty detective Cordelia Cupp who is called in to find the killer. Immediately following its premiere, The Residence has received a perfect Rotten Tomatoes score, showing that it could become Shondaland’s next hit.

It is unsurprising that The Residence has already been met with praise, given just how successful Shonda Rhimes’ career has been for several decades now. Many of Shondaland’s TV shows have been met with critical praise and millions of fans. Indeed, Grey’s Anatomy is still going strong after 20 years and Bridgerton continues to grow in popularity with each new season. The Residence‘s positive reviews show that the producer has not missed a beat as audience interests have evolved, marking it as the highest-rated Shondaland series since Scandal itself.

The Residence Brings Shondaland Back To The White House After Scandal’s Ending

Like Scandal, The Residence allows Shondaland fans to return to the gripping political setting of the White House, but with a murder mystery twist. However, they have more than just their setting in common. In addition to Shonda Rhimes serving as a producer for The Residence (she was also the creator and writer for Scandal in addition to producing), the two Washington, DC-centered shows are connected by Paul William Davies. Davies was a writer for Scandal and is credited as the creator and an executive producer of The Residence.

Beyond those involved and the setting, Scandal and The Residence both benefit from interesting and complex relationships between the characters that are only uncovered after deeper digging. The shows both highlight the intricacies of life in the White House and just how many people are involved in running things smoothly. What’s more, much like Scandal‘s frequent and shocking reveals about the lives of its characters throughout its seven seasons, The Residence highlights the idea that there is much more to people than meets the eye, and that can be dangerous.

The Residence Is Much More Comedic Than Scandal

There Are Some Notable Differences Too

While The Residence has a lot of really great aspects in common with Scandal, there are also some pretty notable differences too. First and foremost, The Residence is a murder mystery that is more along the lines of Knives Out, where Scandal leans more in the direction of a true political drama. While Scandal certainly had its fair share of deaths, The Residence truly frames the murder as a whodunit with a lot of comedic moments. The series’ eight-episode format serves as the perfect way to unravel the case, with a great pace and a satisfying ending.

The Residence Season 1 Ending Explained: Why THAT Character Killed AB Wynter

The Residence season 1 followed Detective Cordelia Cupp through a whodunit set at the White House. After 8 episodes, the true killer was revealed.

The Residence really benefits from the added comedy included in its murder mystery, taking after some of the best recent additions to the genre while still remaining unique in its own ways. Though the series does have some notable differences from its Shondaland predecessor, the two pair well together thanks to the consistently great writing quality and style featured in both. In short, The Residence is the perfect new show for fans of Scandal who are willing to branch out to a more comedic take on life (and death) in the White House.