Butterfly (2025)

The world of spies is brimming with betrayal, murder, secrets, and plenty of action. The ending of the first season is incredibly suspenseful, a thriller, and will have you eagerly anticipating a second season.

I was looking forward to Butterfly, especially because it looked promising on paper. A spy series starring Daniel Dae Kim, Korean locations, and a father-daughter story full of suspense and emotion. Unfortunately, the series was quite disappointing.

The biggest problem is that the story is very simple and predictable. You're presented with all the usual espionage elements. There are hardly any surprises, so after a few episodes I was wondering if I hadn't seen this ten times better in other series.

The acting, unfortunately, doesn't help matters. Daniel Dae Kim is normally a solid actor, but here he never really comes to life. His emotions often feel flat, especially in the scenes with his daughter. Reina Hardesty tries her best, but she's not always convincing either. Piper Perabo's antagonist could have added some spice to the series, but her role is so thinly written that she never becomes a truly credible threat.

Visually, the series is quite nice. The Korean locations are beautifully filmed and give the series a fresh look.

All in all, Butterfly is a series that feels mostly mediocre and subpar. It's watchable if you're looking for some standard spy entertainment, but it never really becomes compelling or special. For me personally, this was a disappointment. A series that was announced with much fanfare, but ultimately amounts to little more than a collection of clichés, mediocre acting, and a story that never truly transcends itself.