Crime
The Residence
As much as one might enjoy solving a good mystery, there’s a fair bit of content slop to muck through in Netflix’s The Residence.
As anyone from a small town will tell you, the nice thing about them is that everyone knows everyone. The bad thing about them is that everyone knows everyone.
Everyone in Manhattan, Kansas, knows that Sam is back in town after she left more than a decade ago to live in Lawrence. Everyone knows she only returned to act as a caregiver to her dying sister, Holly, before she passed away from cancer. They also know that since then, Sam’s been somewhat of a wandering spirit, unwilling to leave Manhattan but not finding much reason to stay.
It’s tough enough being back in a hometown that’s changed so little and yet so much since she’s been gone. It’s even tougher to return to a conservative Christian region when you don’t really identify as either of those things.
Sam eventually takes up a job grading essays at the Excellence Standardized Test Grading Center. While there, she bumps into Joel, an old classmate from her show choir days in high school. Sensing that Sam needs a little more community, he invites her to “choir practice,” held at a local Presbyterian church in the town mall.
In actuality, Joel lied to get the church’s permission to use the place for his “singing group.” Their meetings are filled with those who feel on the outskirts of red-state society—and while there is singing, it’s definitely not the kind the church was led to believe.
And Sam feels—just for a moment—that, even if this isn’t the community she remembers leaving, it may be the community she’ll stay for.
But things in the Little Apple move a little more slowly than they do in the Big Apple. Life gets worse, and then it gets better. People move away. Others move in. Residents pass away. Problems arise and resolve.
And though it all happens at a leisurely pace, by Season 3, Sam feels she’s finally got some semblance of community—even if it always feels at risk of drifting away.
Drifting away?
Joel, her best friend, is moving in with his boyfriend. Sam’s newly divorced sister, Tricia, is far more focused on her business and the dating pool. And since she’s returned home, Sam’s mom has gone to live in a retirement home while her dad has left to spend time in Texas.
Even the dog Sam was thinking of adopting has been purchased.
And so, Sam cries in her car.
That’s the trouble with small towns. When everyone knows everyone, it’s devastating to feel as if you don’t know anyone.
I’ll be honest, as someone who grew up in a Kansan hamlet far smaller than Manhattan, I know firsthand that small-town culture isn’t perfect.
The community is there. It’s built around bake sales and fishing derbies and trips to Casey’s general store for a slice of pizza. The grade-school students know every person in their grade, and the parents know all the small-town news. (And did you hear that they’re installing a third stoplight? Things are really picking up around here!)
And even if every other small town has it too, that community can feel so special and unique if you’re a part of it. But if you’re not, well, there’s not much for you there—and you’ll still have to see the faces of the people who are a part of it, day by day.
Somebody Somewhere showcases one such person who can’t seem to reconnect with the community of her hometown. Actually, it shows many people, all of whom fall comfortably in the category of red-state outcasts.
Fortysomething Sam aimlessly drifts through life attempting to find happiness. She’s not a Christian, but her best friend, a gay man named Joel, is. Sam’s other friend, going by “Fred Rococo,” is a transgender man. And there are plenty of other “outcasts” attending “choir practice,” too.
All of them long for community. And to some extent, they find it with each other. But as issues come up and life goes on, that community always seems a little shakier than Sam would like.
Christianity is referenced on the show, since the religion plays a big part in the culture. But the expressions of the faith that we do see are far from traditional and have little to do with the Gospel. Instead, these moments almost always constitute personal affirmation as opposed to glorifying or depending upon God.
And as for other issues, we hear some sexual references (as well as seeing a man’s naked rear), and crude language is intense. (A subplot includes selling pillows with the c-word on them).
Manhattan, Kansas, may be a home on the range. But the issues in Somebody Somewhere may leave your skies cloudy all day.
(Editor’s Note: Plugged In is rarely able to watch every episode of a given series for review. As such, there’s always a chance that you might see a problem that we didn’t. If you notice content that you feel should be included in our review, send us an email at [email protected], or contact us via Facebook or Instagram, and be sure to let us know the episode number, title and season so that we can check it out.)
Sam reconnects with Joel, an old classmate from high school show choir.
Sam talks with her niece about dyeing “just the tip” of her hair. And she talks about that phrase in sexual context with her niece as well, telling her not to fall for that line if a guy uses it. Joel is a gay man, and he talks with his partner. Likewise, it’s revealed that Sam’s deceased sister, Holly, was a lesbian. The emcee for “choir practice” is played by a transgender man. A man steals his sister’s diary and reads it to a crowd, including a passage about insecurities regarding her breasts.
People talk about church. Joel hosts “choir practice” in Faith Presbyterian church, which has given him the keys to use the building for that goal. However, Joel and others exploit the church’s kindness by using it as a performance venue instead. People complain about being inside the church, saying they’re “creeped out.” Someone says, “Love the sinner, hate the sin.” Another person reads a mock sermon.
At “choir practice,” people prepare an alcoholic punch bowl. People drink alcohol. A man references a DUI.
A man flatulates. We hear a crude reference to a feminine hygiene product.
The f-word is used 14 times, and the s-word is used 11 times. We also hear a couple of instances each of “a–,” “p-ssed” and “d–k.” God’s name is used in vain 15 times, including one use with “d–n.” Jesus’ name is used in vain three times.
Sam begins to recognize that her friends and family have all found relationships or a sense of purpose, which leaves her feeling abandoned. Joel moves in with his boyfriend.
Two men kiss, as do a transgender man and woman.
Sam says she’s been pregnant many times before, and it isn’t quite clear if she’s joking or slyly suggesting that she’s had multiple abortions.
A man attempts to give Sam a discount at a church bake sale, but she declines, saying, “Keep the change for your buddy Jesus.” A woman references New Age spirituality, explaining that she needs to “manifest change.”
People drink liquor and wine. Sam admits to being intoxicated.
The f-word is used eight times, and the s-word is used twice. The c-word is heard three times, too. We also hear “a–,” “d–n” and “h—.” Someone is called a “slut.” God’s name is used in vain 15 times, and Jesus’ name is abused twice.
Kennedy Unthank studied journalism at the University of Missouri. He knew he wanted to write for a living when he won a contest for “best fantasy story” while in the 4th grade. What he didn’t know at the time, however, was that he was the only person to submit a story. Regardless, the seed was planted. Kennedy collects and plays board games in his free time, and he loves to talk about biblical apologetics. He thinks the ending of Lost “wasn’t that bad.”
As much as one might enjoy solving a good mystery, there’s a fair bit of content slop to muck through in Netflix’s The Residence.
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