After Its Shocking Cancellation, This 6-Episode Action-Packed Thriller Series Is Soaring Up The Charts

This year, Prime Video released a series of new action thrillers and each of them found its audience. This included Jensen AckleIt is Countdown, Naelel is notIt is Butterfly and the Maggie Q Bosch spin-off, Ballard. Although they are all in Prime Video’s streaming Top 10, only Ballard was given the green light for a second season, while the other two faced the chopping block. Butterflyin particular, was a head-scratching cancellation, especially since it surged up the streaming charts just days after its lack of renewal was announced. It’s clear that fans are still reliving the non-stop action of the series, so don’t let its cancellation deter you – ButterflyThe Only Season of has all the espionage and wall-to-wall heart to make it a fun binge.

‘Butterfly’ Climbed Prime Video’s Rankings After Its Cancelation

Kim, as David Jung, leads this spy thriller meets family drama, transforming into a retired spy presumed dead, but returning to his old stomping grounds to save his daughter from the same fate. Reina HardestyDavid’s Rebecca had been transformed into a heartless elite assassin by David’s former partner, Juno (Piper Perabo). When Rebecca discovers he’s still alive, she’s torn between her loyalties to her mentor and her father, leading to a cat-and-mouse chase that doubles as family therapy.

After Butterfly premiered on the streaming service, it peaked at #6 on Nielsen’s Top 10 Streaming Originals in the United States, an impressive feat that made it seem like the series would have a future. Combine that with a Rotten Tomatoes Audience score of 83%, and it’s clear that the series has resonated with audiences. So, the news of the cancellation was shocking to say the least, even though the series fell off the charts just before. Prime Video cited broader “reevaluation” as reason for non-renewal of seriesbut what happened a few days after the news probably indicates that it was an unwise or hasty decision.

Butterfly rose to #3 on Prime Video’s global rankings, once again, finding an even wider audience only after Amazon MGM Studios pulled the plug on the series. Whether this is a response to the cancellation or just a coincidence, it begs the question: Was the decision to cancel the show made too soon? The spy thriller is clearly drawing viewers in, and given that it also ends on a wild cliffhanger, there are probably more than a few unsatisfied fans yearning for answers. However, despite some unanswered questions, there are enough thrills in the season alone to make the series worth watching if you haven’t already.

“Butterfly” seduces us by mixing espionage, culture and emotion

Butterfly may have received average critical reception, earning an RT score of 68%, but there was one thing critics collectively agreed on: Kim delivered a stunning performance. Kim’s David was naturally the center of the series and all of its contrasting elements, tying them together through his acting and characterization. He becomes the driving force of the series that makes it so bingeableeven if we know that there is no second season on the horizon. As the action leader, he takes part in some of the most riveting and adrenaline-charged fight sequences, and as a father, he portrays the vulnerability and guilt of navigating his former relationship with his daughter.

On top of that, Kim’s performance is what makes Butterfly a complete cultural stage. At SDCC 2025, he told Collider that “Korea is definitely a character in our show, and it’s one of the things that makes our show unique.” So, through Kim and Hardesty’s performances and the father-daughter chemistry, Butterfly is able to incorporate Korean culture organically rather than “tokenically”. David constantly introduces Rebecca to different aspects of Korean culture, such as drinking Makgeolli or even through how they interact with different cities in the respective episodes titled after them, such as “Busan” or “Seoul”.

So, even if Butterfly was not renewed for a second season, considering the action-packed atmosphere of the series and its importance as a cultural milestone, it is still definitely worth watching. All six episodes are packed with so many twists and turns and so much heart that you’ll be captivated from the second you see Kim’s David slinking through the shadows. Between its tumultuous pace and emotional storytelling, it’s ready for a weekend binge. We might wish Season 2 had the green light to, at the very least, address the final cliffhanger, but The butterfly the first season alone is an enticing must-see, bringing cutthroat assassins and familial nuances into one captivating package.