A classic whodunit thrives on twists and unexpected reveals — a story that keeps viewers on the edge of their seats, capitalizing on the thrill of the chase. These are all elements that Netflix’s “The Residence” lacked.

I am a sucker for any type of murder mystery, especially a limited series that guarantees a definitive ending.

As I began to watch Shonda Rhimes’ “The Residence,” I noticed an obvious quirky and comical feature to the murder mystery, giving it a lighter feel.

“The Residence” follows world-renowned detective Cordelia Cupp (Uzo Aduba) as she arrives to solve a murder at the White House during a state dinner. She is brought in by the chief of Washington D.C. police to take control of the case.

A.B. Wynter (Giancarlo Esposito), the head usher of the White House, is found dead in the game room and viewers are taken through Cupp’s investigation as she uncovers the truth.

Cupp immediately orders more than 150 guests to stay until she has a chance to interview each one, documenting their names and roles at the White House. She takes us through each character’s version of what they thought happened that night.

She’s careful not to name a suspect, frustrating FBI agent Edwin Park (Randall Park), who was assigned to help her and tries to keep up the best he can.

Cupp carefully analyzes the scene of the death. Several White House officials pushed to write it off as a suicide because of a note found in his jacket, but Cupp isn’t convinced based on the severity of his injuries.

Her character was by far my favorite, with her dry humor and astute observations that everyone else missed. She only says what she knows to be true, relating her methods to birdwatching.

“You don’t pick up your binoculars until you know what you’re looking at,” Cupp says.

She doesn’t focus on any one theory until she has a full understanding of the situation, taking in all the details — just as birdwatchers observe the surrounding landscape before focusing on a particular bird.

Cupp has a very systematic way of thinking, which, as the narrator, is refreshing. She constantly proves people wrong and chips away at the case to get down to the root of the problem.

The show takes us through the inner workings of the White House and the people who keep it running, following procedures that go back decades. The historical framework is an interesting addition to the mystery.

“The Residence” aims for a sharp and clever narrative but struggles to follow through, coming off as more generic and forgetful.

The series could have been four episodes long. In the beginning, I was entertained but quickly noticed a pattern of niche discoveries that would eventually, and painfully slowly, add up to the murder.

It felt dragged out far past its prime, going out of its way to explore random goose chase and included too many red herrings that added little to the final mystery.

What should have been a gripping story started to feel like a chore to watch. I lost interest, and by the end of the last episode, I didn’t really care who the killer was.

So who dunit?

The list of possible suspects went on and on and on, which was part of the reason that I lost interest. It was made clear that multiple suspects had a clear enough motive, and there wasn’t one that seriously outweighed the rest.

Was it the loyal staffer (Susan Kelechi Watson) who was supposed to get promoted and take Wynters’ job as head usher? Maybe it was the president’s loathed brother (Jason Lee) or the emotionally charged pastry chef (Bronson Pinchot)? Or maybe it was the drunk butler, the president’s mother-in-law, the social secretary or the engineer?

These are only some of the options that were investigated.

With a new administration settling into the White House, the Morgans wanted to do things differently — embracing change while Wynter has always advocated and valued tradition. As head usher, his stern and strict nature made him a target for many people.

The show reveals the evidence has been there all along in plain sight, but it didn’t land as effectively because the story felt so drawn out.

A murder mystery is the last genre that should make viewers feel bored and unengaged; it should build tension — not test patience.