The Residence Episodes 5 and 6 Recap: The Hunt For the Third Man Begins

In the previous episodes of ‘The Residence,‘ we have been circling around a lot of the central issues concerning A.B. Wynter’s death. However, these have only led to more questions about the real identity of the killer. With everyone seemingly motivated and holding a grudge against the Chief Usher, it seems highly likely that any number of these people could have been the ones to murder the man. Yet, the disparate strands have all intertwined with other storylines to some extent, showcasing the complexity of the case facing Cordelia Cupp. The detective has slowly chipped away at a variety of disconnected dots by finding the missing link between them. Still, problems persist heading into episodes 5 and 6, titled ‘The Trouble With Harry’ and ‘The Third Man,’ as two seemingly innocuous figures become the subject of attention for the murder investigation. SPOILERS AHEAD.

Tripp Morgan Enters the Fray With His Shenanigans

After receiving the call from the person across the street in the last episode, Cordelia and Park head over to the hotel, which is known as Hay-Adams, to meet the person. They are surprised to learn it is a young boy named Vusi whose parents are still sleeping in while he is out looking at the White House through his binoculars. Vusi asks for Trask and Park to leave before he starts engaging Cordelia in a conversation. He tells her he saw flashing red lights in the window of Room 301 of the White House earlier in the night – the exact time was at 9:46 and 9:51 PM. The detective promises him a White House tour in the future as a reward for his actions. She, Trask, and Park return to the White House, where everyone starts questioning Cordelia about the investigation.

Kylie Minogue flags the protagonist down as she wants to stay in the Lincoln bedroom for a while. Although Cordelia is against it, Trask takes over for her. She then talks to Harry Hollinger, revealing the truth about Room 301 and how it has been made to look like it needs renovation to stop Hollinger from inviting his sister to stay. Cordelia goes upstairs to speak with Nan Cox about the room. However, the older lady points out that she heard an argument in the corridor outside earlier in the night. The detective learns that the President’s brother, Tripp Morgan, got into a fight with Wynter about his toilet being clogged. Cordelia directly questions Tripp about it, who claims that there was never an argument between him and the Chief Usher. Instead, he says it was an amicable exchange.

We learn via some flashbacks what actually happened in the conversation and also a little bit about Tripp’s backstory. As President Morgan’s brother, he has always had to live in the shadow of his more successful sibling, who was always more appreciated by the family. Tripp became self-destructive as a result, which caused a lot of issues for Perry Morgan once he gained the Presidency. To avoid any more liabilities, he suggested that Tripp should come and stay in the White House to avoid being in the news. He accepted the offer, and since then, he has been staying in the White House and using it as his personal home, which angered Wynter numerous times. The problem happened during the evening of the state dinner when an excited Tripp was told by his brother not to attend the event. It made him frustrated, and he vented his anger at the house.

A.B. Wynter Felt Under Threat in the White House

After hearing his life story in the room, A.B. Wynter was slightly empathetic and told him that Bruce Geller, the engineer, would come around to fix the toilet. However, he stated that he had to spill the news to the President the following day because Tripp was going around disrupting the White House’s running by stealing and breaking things. Tripp yelled at Wynter for not being discreet about his situation. Bruce arrived not long after and started cleaning the toilet. Tripp was initially in the room to greet him, but according to Bruce, he disappeared later. Cordelia questions Tripp about this, and he finally reveals that he left. He went downstairs to get the kangaroo dessert made by Gotthard. Cordelia then notices that Tripp has a digital wristwatch that flashes red when an alarm is triggered. It connects to the red lights seen by Vusi in Room 301.

Agent Trask arrives and says a few strangers must be let out. Cordelia remembers that other guests had caught two party crashers on the premises. The two are Valentina and Lorenzo Motta, an affluent couple who decided to visit the White House even though they had no invite. It turns out that Hollinger wanted them to be sent out immediately, but Wynter rejected the idea. According to security protocol, they had to keep them confined in the White House until the evening was over. However, there was another reason behind Wynter’s actions. He felt that Hollinger was setting him up to get fired. A day before the state dinner, Wynter had to go to the treaty room to tell Hollinger, Oliver Root, and Walpole Bing that the President was running late. During the meeting, some sensitive things were discussed.

Wynter tried to show etiquette by waiting for them to finish speaking, as that is how White House staff are supposed to act in any scenario. However, they did not notice him and kept talking about their sensitive plans. When Bing finally noticed him in the corner of the room, the three immediately accused Wynter of spying on them. The latter did not even get the chance to explain or apologize. Hollinger even followed him back to his office to threaten him to keep his mouth shut. Wynter was really affected by it and told Haney about it. At the congressional meeting, Senator Bix questions Hollinger’s actions, especially the fact that he threatened Wynter. She thinks he is shady. However, more than anything, she questions where Cordelia Cupp is because she has not attended a single trial.

Cordelia Learns About the Existence of the Third Man

In a dense jungle in a tropical part of the world, an unknown woman travels through the thick foliage to find a treehouse in the middle of nowhere. Inside the treehouse is Cordelia Cupp. We then jump back to the congressional meeting where Cordelia is still missing, and Hollinger remains a big suspect. Hollinger goes to Senator Filkins’ office and dresses him down, stating that he should not allow the meeting to turn into a murder mystery discussion. Meanwhile, back in the White House, Cordelia and Park get a surprise when Kylie Minogue flags her down in her robe and says that there is blood in the Lincoln Bedroom. Cordelia learns that Agent Trask has allowed her to stay there. The detective investigates the blood and finds two secret doors that lead to a closet and a staircase to the third floor.

Trask states that the Morgans had disallowed the Secret Service from venturing onto the second floor as much as possible. He says that the call came from Elliott Morgan. When Cordelia questions him, he denies any allegations. Agent Rausch disputes his claims directly, stating he did call at 9:22 PM to say that no one should be on the second floor. Back in the jungle, the stranger woman, whose name is Nohelia, delivers something to Cordelia, telling her about how everyone is interested in her White House case. This scene is clearly taking place in the present day. When the woman leaves, Cordelia gets a device that will allow her to watch the congressional meeting. In the White House, the protagonist learns about the existence of party crasher number three, who they dub the Third Man. It was the strange man at the dinner who did not say much and looked emotionless.

No one can make out the man’s name because of the calligrapher’s poor handwriting. Sheila says he got off on the second floor when taking the elevator with her. One of the Australians recognizes him as well and says Walpole Bing was sitting next to him. Senator Aaron Filkins brings Senator Bix to his office to offer a deal to stop talking about the case at the congressional meeting. She rejects the deal, theorizing that the missing Third Man connects the dots somehow. Meanwhile, the brass asks Cordelia what she has thus far and if she can prove there are any suspects. Park steps in and says that suicide was the likeliest outcome given what they know thus far. Cordelia does not get any more help from David Rylance because he is afraid of Walpole Bing. The investigation looks like a bust, as the detective does not want Chief Wokes to pay the price for her persistence. So, everyone is allowed to leave.

The Third Man Blows the Case Open

After much argumentative deliberation between Senator Filkins and Senator Bix, the Third Man’s identity remains a mystery. Filkins decides to close the hearing with Park and Wokes’ final statements. However, outside, Senator Bix puts out a call in the media for the Third Man to appear in the hearing of his own volition, saying that she will grant him immunity if he comes forward. Hollinger arrives in Filkins’ office to complain, worrying that the Third Man may really appear. Filkins assures him it won’t happen. Unfortunately for both of them, the Third Man does appear. He hears the call for immunity and shows up at the congressional meeting. Here, we finally learn his name – Patrick Doumbe. Patrick begins the hearing with a rather amusing and nervous statement. This tetchiness melts away once he realizes he can speak freely without any legal jargon.

Patrick explains how, on the day of the state dinner, he was mistaken as one of the Australian delegation members and whisked into their van. He then enjoyed most of the party like any normal guest and met the President and Hugh Jackman. Eventually, he needed to go to the restroom, which was when he took the elevator to the second floor with Sheila as company. On the second floor, the Morgans’ dog Shirley barked at him several times, causing him to flee via one of the secret entrances. He claimed he left without incident through the White House front gate. Cordelia watches the event from her device in the jungle, connecting with Agent Park to relay some crucial questions Filkins needs to ask Patrick. Park sends these questions over, and Filkins asks them just as Patrick is about to leave.

Cordelia instructs Filkins to use her interview method of simply staring at the person without speaking. It works on Patrick, who breaks down and reveals that he is lying about how he left the White House. In truth, he met a man on the second floor who told him how to escape the house via a secret exit. When Filkins continues to ask Cordelia’s question, Patrick reveals the shocking news that he saw the man drag Wynter’s body from the yellow oval room.