Butterfly finale explained in detail as Daniel Dae Kim reveals the thought process behind the ending

The spy thriller series Butterfly premiered exclusively on Prime Video on August 13, 2025, in the United States. The synopsis for the series, as per Prime Video, reads:

David Jung, a mysterious former US intelligence operative living in hiding in South Korea, has his life blown to pieces when the consequences of an impossible decision from his past come back to haunt him, and he finds himself hunted by Rebecca, a deadly young assassin, and Caddis, the sinister spy organization she works for.

Daniel Dae Kim, known for Lost, Hawaii Five-0, and The Good Doctor, recently also voiced the role of Healer Han in Netflix’s K-Pop Demon Hunters. The article further breaks down the ambiguous finale, titled Annyeong, concluding the first season of the gripping six-episode spy thriller.

Butterfly finale explained

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The Butterfly finale pushes the strained father-daughter relationship to its limits while unraveling layers of betrayal, loyalty, and unresolved trauma. After a season spent dodging Caddis operatives and manipulating internal tensions within the organization, David and Rebecca succeed in destabilizing Juno, Caddis’s powerful leader. By capturing Juno’s son Oliver and sowing distrust between them, David and Rebecca nearly dismantle the agency’s power structure from within.

In an interview with Time Magazine, Daniel Dae Kim explained the importance of the various relationships in the plot of the series.

“The most important thing about the storytelling was getting the relationships right. If we understand the dynamics of Rebecca and David’s relationship, the action flows as an extension of the relationship dynamics. There are some action shows where they just go from fight to fight to fight, and you can see that the connective tissue between them isn’t very strong. But for us, the emphasis was on making sure the relationships were complex and interesting, and that the fights were an expression of their own emotional conflict,” he said.

The climax sees Rebecca captured and taken to an abandoned factory. David launches a daring rescue, engaging in a brutal showdown with Juno’s assassin, Gun. Though badly injured, David saves Rebecca, who stops him from killing Juno, choosing mercy but demanding she never threaten their family again. Juno escapes with Hollis, leaving the threat unresolved.

In the final moments, David’s dream of uniting his family seems within reach, until disaster strikes. While dining at a restaurant, David discovers his wife Eunju gravely injured and bleeding, with Rebecca missing. His desperate question, whether Rebecca was responsible, goes unanswered as Eunju is too weak to respond. The ambiguity leaves viewers questioning Rebecca’s loyalty, the ongoing threat of Caddis, and the fate of David’s fragile family.

According to Daniel Dae Kim, this deliberate uncertainty was designed to provoke discussion and set the stage for a possible continuation. 

“We wanted to end on an event that called into question all of the bonds that had been built over season one,” Kim explained, noting that David’s mission to protect and reunite his family is far from over.

What is the series all about?

Fight, protect, and survive. #Butterfly premieres this August 13, only on Prime Video. pic.twitter.com/iXzCwMfM6k

— Prime Video Philippines (@primevideoph) August 8, 2025

The spy thriller series Butterfly was created by Steph Cha and Ken Woodruff as a tense, character-driven espionage thriller, emphasizing relationships as much as action.

The series is based on Boom! Studios’ graphic novel of the same title, created by Arash Amel, written by Amel and Marguerite Bennett, and illustrated by Antonio Fuso and Stefano Simeone. Craig Fikse, Kanamé Onoyama, and Won-ho Son served as the cinematographers, with Curtis Green and Min He composing the music for the first season.  

Daniel Dae Kim not only stars as David Jung but also serves as executive producer, bringing his experience from past TV and film roles to shape the series’ emotional core. The cast includes Reina Hardesty as Rebecca, Piper Perabo as Juno, Kim Tae-hee as Eunju, Louis Landau as Oliver, and Sean Dulake as Hollis.

The show consists of six episodes, each with a runtime of roughly 50 minutes, making it a bingeable yet impactful watch. Shot across multiple South Korean locations, the series blends authentic settings with high-stakes narrative twists.

All six episodes of Butterfly are streaming exclusively on Prime Video, where viewers can immerse themselves in the shadowy world of Caddis and follow the intense, personal journey of David and Rebecca.

With its suspense-filled finale, strong performances, and unresolved questions, Butterfly positions itself as one of the most talked-about thrillers of the year — and leaves fans eagerly awaiting word on whether Daniel Dae Kim will return to lead a second season.

Stay tuned with us for further updates.