In this cultural critique, contributor Bliss explores how โThe Residenceโ, Shonda Rhimesโ latest Netflix series, uses the character of Cordelia Cuppโplayed by Uzo Adubaโto deliver a powerful, plus size TV fashion-forward portrayal of protest, presence, and quiet resistance.
Far from just a political drama, the series becomes a layered reflection of real-world systems, coded language, and the soft power of Black womanhood. Through Cordeliaโs birding hobby, bold wardrobe, and unwavering stillness, the show illustrates how Black artistsโfrom screenwriters to performersโuse their talents as subtle acts of defiance. Letโs unpack the brilliance of plus-size representation, intentional styling, and the deeper symbolism behind every gesture, stitch, and silence.
Recently, Netflix premiered Shonda Rhimesโ new series The Residence, and letโs just sayโsheโs done it again. Sharp. Stylish. Suspenseful. This is Shonda in her protest era, and sheโs using scriptwriting as strategy.
At the center of it all is Uzo Aduba, who plays murder investigator, Cordelia Cupp, at a mysterious White House state dinner. Cupp is a woman who watches more than she speaks, who studies people the way she studies birdsโmeticulously, without urgency, but with a kind of quiet certainty that unnerves everyone around her. Her character is cool and slightly offbeat, with a love for birding that others dismiss as odd. But thatโs the point. Birding is where Cordelia draws her power. Itโs how she sees what others miss. The woman doesnโt chase chaosโshe simply pays attention to it.
What makes The Residence so remarkable isnโt just the mystery or the politics. Itโs the way it mirrors real-world systems while never saying them out loud. The show doesnโt preach. It doesnโt scream. It whispers just loud enough for those who are listening. This isnโt just a show about a crime. Itโs a show about coded language, double consciousness, and the soft power of protest. Itโs about what it means to investigate a lie while surviving the truth.
Cordelia Cupp is a Black woman with authority. A plus size woman in luxury fabric. A quiet force in a sea of self-importance. Her wardrobe โ rich, structured, grounded โ isnโt just costume design, itโs commentary. The coats arenโt soft. Theyโre armor. The colors arenโt loud. Theyโre deliberate. She doesnโt ask for space. She wears it.
Cordelia Cupp Revolutionizes Plus Size TV Fashion
Every trench coat is tailored with purpose. Every pop of color is a calculated risk. And when she pulls out her binocularsโyes, binocularsโitโs not for effect. Itโs who she is: observant, focused, unbothered by what people think of her methods.
Cordeliaโs wardrobe is built like a fortress: clean lines, structured shoulders, full-length silhouettes that demand presence.
This isnโt minimalism. Itโs a message.
Sheโs a plus size Black woman walking the halls of powerโand her fashion speaks long before she ever opens her mouth. In a room full of fragile egos and fading influence, Cordeliaโs look is bold, unflinching, and impossible to ignore.
For so long, plus-size TV fashion has been treated like an afterthought in television. But here, Cordeliaโs wardrobe is central to the storytelling. It amplifies her characterโs sharpness, her emotional depth, her refusal to be minimized.
This is a protest in a power suit. This is a masterclass in dressing for defiance.
And thatโs the beauty of this role. Uzo Aduba, a plus size Black woman, is not the sidekick or comedic relief. Sheโs the lead. Sheโs the mind. Sheโs the eyes. Her body is not a statement โ itโs a fact. A woman existing fully, taking up space with elegance and authority.
In another time, someone might have told her to smile more. To soften her voice. To wear something โmore flattering.โ But here, in this world Shonda has built, Cordelia Cupp is not asked to be likable. She is asked to be excellent โ and she delivers.
Still, this story doesnโt rely on tropes or tidy resolutions. It leans into the tension. And thatโs what makes it revolutionary. Uzo Adubaโs presence on screen isnโt just about representationโitโs about reclamation. Sheโs not here to be palatable. Sheโs here to do the work. To solve the crime. To walk through the halls of privilege and power and not apologize for how much space she takes up while doing it.
And thatโs what makes this series more than a binge-worthy drama. Itโs a reminder that art has always been a refuge for Black people when the world tries to silence them. When politicians fumble and justice feels like a moving target, Black artists pick up the slack. They protest in lyrics, in lighting, in casting, in costume. They create work that says what the headlines wonโt.
Shonda Rhimes is doing it with scripts. Uzo Aduba is doing it with presence.
In an era where truth is drowned out by spin, the real ones are speaking in code. And if youโre not listening closely, youโll miss it. But Cordelia wouldnโt. Sheโd already know. Sheโd already be watching.
Because thatโs what visionaries do. They see it before the rest of us ever look up!
What did you think of Shonda Rhimesโ The Residence? Let us know in the comments!
