Butterfly’s first season is now streaming on Prime Video.
By Greg Wheeler
Butterfly, Prime Video’s sleek new spy thriller, opens with an assassination in Seoul and never slows down. Across six fast-paced episodes, the show crisscrosses continents, double-crosses allegiances, and questions the meaning of loyalty, all while grounding its narrative in the messy, complicated relationship between a father and daughter. The series is equal parts emotional drama and action-packed spectacle, anchored by a strong ensemble and stylish direction.
Daniel Dae Kim leads the cast as David Jung, a former spy who faked his death nine years ago to protect his daughter Rebecca, played by Reina Hardesty. That single decision sets the entire series in motion. When David resurfaces to stop his old agency, Caddis, from turning Rebecca into a disposable asset, the personal and professional collide. Rebecca, unaware of her father’s past and manipulated by Caddis head Juno (a chillingly poised Jennifer Carpenter), begins as David’s adversary. Their shifting dynamic becomes the emotional core of the show.
Every episode builds on the tension between past mistakes and present consequences. Trust is hard to come by. David is fighting to reclaim a relationship he abandoned. Rebecca is searching for identity in a world that only valued her as a weapon. And Juno, whose maternal instincts seem reserved for her son Oliver, views people as pieces on a chessboard. What begins as a simple mission gone sideways turns into a deeper exploration of guilt, sacrifice, and survival.
The show’s action is well-executed, with tight choreography and cinematic flair. Whether it’s a knife fight in a safe house, a shootout in a Busan alleyway, or a tense exfil from a Korean train, Butterfly keeps its momentum high. But it also finds time for character beats, letting its leads breathe and argue in moments between the chaos. That balance is one of the show’s strengths.
The supporting characters flesh out the world, even when their arcs are thinner. Juno’s son Oliver becomes increasingly paranoid and insecure as his mother manipulates events. Eun-ju, David’s new partner and Min-hee’s mother, brings a welcome emotional steadiness, even if her presence sometimes feels like a plot device. Gun, played with charisma by Kim Ji-hoon, delivers as the show’s deadliest presence and deserved more screen time.
By the back half of the season, the show leans into psychological warfare. David and Rebecca stop running and start fighting back, turning the tables on Juno and sowing doubt within her inner circle. Their scheme to flip Oliver and expose Caddis’ corruption builds to a clever if somewhat rushed climax. The tension between David and Juno, once colleagues and possibly more, adds weight to their final confrontation. The two know each other’s weaknesses, and the show smartly avoids turning their rivalry into a caricature.
Still, Butterfly leaves viewers with lingering uncertainty. The final episode ends with Rebecca seemingly betraying her father’s trust, vanishing after Eun-ju is found bleeding out in a bathroom. We don’t see the attack, but the implication is heavy. Has Juno gotten back into Rebecca’s head? Or is something even more sinister unfolding? The finale provides closure to some threads but cracks open others, setting up a second season with potential for deeper psychological exploration.
If there is one critique to make, it’s that Butterfly sometimes races past its best moments. Rebecca’s shifting loyalty, Oliver’s meltdown, and Juno’s justifications all hint at richer themes that could use more space to develop. But the show never drags, and for an action thriller, that is often the more forgivable trade-off.
What makes Butterfly stand out is that it never loses sight of its emotional stakes. For all its cool spy tech and chase scenes, this is a show about a family torn apart by secrecy and stitched together by fragile trust. The final image of David screaming Rebecca’s name is a haunting one. After a season spent trying to save her, he may have lost her once again.
I give Butterfly an A-.
TV and City 