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What is the plot?
David Jung spies on a Caddis team at a karaoke bar in the Conrad Hotel in Seoul, where Russian ambassador Mikhail Karpov is giving interviews. Rebecca arrives at the hotel, gains entry by talking to staff, excuses herself to the washroom, and reaches the interview location to carry out her mission.
David kills two men in the adjacent room and moves to a warehouse where he knocks out Atwood, a Caddis agent with whom Rebecca had a semi-intimate relationship.
David and Rebecca face each other; she expresses anger over his abandonment nine years ago. David asks her to leave with him, but she knocks him out and contacts Juno, the head of Caddis.
David wakes up as Atwood attempts to kill him; Rebecca shoots and kills Atwood, then discovers Juno's order on Atwood's phone to eliminate David. Realizing Juno's betrayal, Rebecca agrees to flee with David.
David hijacks Rebecca's extraction vehicle, and they go on the run together. David reveals that Rebecca is his daughter, that he co-founded Caddis with Juno, faked his death nine years ago during a mission in the Philippines to protect Rebecca after his team died, and has been in hiding since.
David explains he resurfaced because Juno has turned Rebecca into a sociopathic assassin while building Caddis into an empire selling intelligence secrets.
While on the run, David receives a call from his wife Eunju, who says Caddis agents are following her at Daegu station. Rebecca reacts with upset upon learning David remarried.
David asks Rebecca to stay behind; he rushes alone to Daegu station, kills some guards, rescues Eunju, and speaks directly to Juno over the phone.
Rebecca disobeys and follows David to the station, discovering that David and Eunju have a young daughter, which delivers another emotional shock to her.
David rescues Eunju from Caddis agents in Episode 2, testing the fragile trust between him and Rebecca as they begin working together against Caddis.
David secures passports from a contact named Choi for his family to escape. Gun, a Caddis operative, is sent to eliminate David and retrieve the passports.
Gun confronts David at the passport location, resulting in a fight where Choi and a fellow worker are killed.
David, Eunju, and their daughter fight for survival in a showdown with Gun, ending in a tense standoff that reveals more about Caddis operations.
David and Rebecca learn of a mole within Caddis relaying information; they identify Oliver, Juno's son, as a potential target for manipulation.
David secures a deal with FBI agent Dawson for immunity in exchange for evidence against Caddis, agreeing to deliver Oliver to create suspicion.
David and Rebecca detonate a bomb in Oliver's car after he refuses Juno's order to leave Seoul, making him believe Juno tried to kill him.
Oliver betrays Juno and provides information to Dawson as a result of the bombing and provocation.
David and Rebecca celebrate their success in flipping Oliver.
Caddis tracks David and Rebecca down immediately after; Gun kidnaps Rebecca.
Rebecca is captured and taken to an abandoned factory by Juno and Caddis operatives for the final confrontation.
David confronts Juno at the factory, leveraging their shared history as co-founders and possible past intimacy, exposing each other's weaknesses in a tense psychological standoff.
Rebecca, now aware Juno is part of her twisted family dynamic through Caddis, feels unable to harm her despite the betrayals.
David and Rebecca reject Juno's offer to work for her new company after Caddis falls.
David and Rebecca warn Juno not to contact them further.
Dawson and FBI agents raid Caddis headquarters, arresting Juno and dismantling the organization.
What is the ending?
The ending of Butterfly Season 1 concludes with David, Rebecca, Eunju, and Minhee seemingly rebuilding their lives and planning to move to the United States. However, the final scene reveals Eunju gravely injured and bleeding at a restaurant, with Rebecca missing, leaving David desperate and uncertain about who harmed Eunju and what will happen next, signaling ongoing danger and unresolved conflict.
In a detailed, scene-by-scene narration of the ending:
The season's climax unfolds after David successfully rescues his daughter Rebecca from Juno and the operatives of the secretive organization Caddis. David, who had faked his own death nine years earlier to protect Rebecca from enemies, has been trying to mend his fractured family. Rebecca, raised by Juno as a trained assassin, has begun to reconcile with David, understanding his sacrifices.
Following the confrontation, the family--David, Rebecca, David's wife Eunju, and their younger daughter Minhee--gathers at a restaurant. They share a moment of calm and tentative hope, discussing plans to move to the United States to start anew, symbolizing a fresh beginning after years of turmoil.
The atmosphere shifts when Eunju and Rebecca go to the washroom and do not return. David notices something is wrong and soon discovers Eunju bleeding heavily, gravely injured. Rebecca is nowhere to be found. David urgently asks Eunju if Rebecca was responsible for the attack, but Eunju is too weak to answer. David calls out for Rebecca, but the show ends without revealing her whereabouts or intentions.
This final scene leaves multiple questions unanswered: the true nature of Rebecca's loyalty, the extent of Caddis's reach, and the safety of the family. David's hope for peace is shattered by this violent cliffhanger, emphasizing that the family's danger is far from over.
Regarding the fate of the main characters at the end:
- David remains alive but is plunged into uncertainty and desperation, trying to protect his family once again.
- Rebecca is missing, her role ambiguous--whether she is a victim, perpetrator, or something in between is left unresolved.
- Eunju is gravely injured and bleeding, her survival uncertain as she cannot communicate who harmed her.
- Minhee is present but not directly involved in the final conflict.
The ending is deliberately open, setting the stage for a potential second season by highlighting fractured family bonds, unresolved threats from Caddis, and the complex, shifting loyalties of Rebecca.
Is there a post-credit scene?
Yes, Butterfly Season 1 (2025) includes a post-credit scene that continues the tense and unresolved storyline. In this scene, Juno and Rebecca are escaping after the FBI raids their office. David's team intercepts them, leading to a confrontation in an abandoned factory where David kills Gun, one of Juno's men. David is about to kill Juno, but Rebecca stops him, convincing him to let Juno go because she is part of her. Juno then boards a plane with Hollis, planning to start a new Caddis operation somewhere outside American jurisdiction, setting up future conflict for Season 2.
This post-credit scene underscores the ongoing danger and unresolved tensions among the main characters, leaving the story open for continuation.
What is the nature of the relationship between David and Rebecca in Butterfly Season 1?
David is Rebecca's father who faked his death nine years ago to protect her. Rebecca was raised by the Caddis organization and molded into an assassin by Juno. Their relationship is tense and complex, with David trying to rekindle their bond while on the run together after he reveals himself to her. Rebecca initially rejects him and remains loyal to Juno, but the revelation affects her deeply.
Who is Juno and what role does she play in the story?
Juno is the current head of the Caddis organization, which David founded. She has raised Rebecca as a borderline sociopathic assassin and built an intelligence empire by selling secrets. Juno betrays Rebecca's trust by sending Atwood, a Caddis agent and Rebecca's former lover, to kill David and Rebecca. She views people as chess pieces and has a maternal instinct reserved only for her son Oliver.
What is the significance of the character Atwood in Season 1?
Atwood is a Caddis agent who had a semi-intimate relationship with Rebecca. Juno sends Atwood to kill David and Rebecca after David reveals himself to Rebecca. This act deepens the conflict and forces David and Rebecca to go on the run together.
What happens in the final scenes of Season 1 regarding Eunju and Rebecca?
In the final scene, Eunju is found gravely injured and bleeding at a restaurant, while Rebecca is missing. David asks Eunju if Rebecca harmed her, but Eunju is too weak to respond. This leaves David uncertain about Rebecca's actions and suggests ongoing danger for the family.
How does the show depict Rebecca's transformation and internal conflict?
Rebecca is portrayed as a weapon molded by Juno and the Caddis organization, initially unaware of her father's survival and past. Her internal conflict arises from her loyalty to Juno and her complicated feelings toward David after his return. The show explores her struggle with identity and trust as she navigates between being an assassin and reconnecting with her father.
Is this family friendly?
The TV show Butterfly (2025, Season 1) is rated TV-MA, indicating it is intended for mature audiences and is not family-friendly for children. It contains content that may be upsetting or objectionable for children or sensitive viewers.
Potentially upsetting aspects include:
- Violence and action scenes involving gunfights, martial arts combat, and car chases with a near-constant threat of death.
- Themes of espionage, betrayal, and danger linked to a former intelligence operative's past.
- Emotional family conflict, including abandonment issues, anger, and intense personal drama with tears and physical confrontations.
- The daughter character is involved as a top-ranked assassin, implying scenes of killing and moral complexity.
- The presence of a sociopathic agent pursuing the protagonist, suggesting psychological tension and threat.
These elements combine to create a thriller with strong action and mature emotional themes, making it unsuitable for children and potentially distressing for sensitive viewers.