Butterfly season 1 ending explained: What happened to Rebecca in the finale?

Butterfly season 1 ends with a high-stakes finale that leaves key events unresolved. The Prime Video thriller, based on the Boom! Studios graphic novel by Arash Amel and Marguerite Bennett, follows David Jung (Daniel Dae Kim) as he returns after nine years to protect his estranged daughter, Rebecca (Reina Hardesty).

Disclaimer: This article contains major spoilers for the show. Read at your own risk.

Across six episodes, the story blends espionage, family ties, and moral conflict. In the final episode, David and Rebecca confront Juno (Piper Perabo) and dismantle parts of the Caddis network. Soon after, an attack on Eunju disrupts a family dinner, and Rebecca vanishes. The ending raises questions about Rebecca’s role, Eunju’s condition, and the impact of sparing Juno.

Where did Rebecca go after the restaurant attack in Butterfly season 1?

Butterfly season 1 (Image via Prime Video)

The end of Butterfly season 1 starts with a tense fight between David, Rebecca, and Juno. With Rebecca's help, David beats Juno, taking away the threat that the clever Caddis commander poses for now. It looks like the danger has passed for a short time.

David meets up with his wife Eunju (Kim Tae-hee) and their younger daughter, Minhee, at a restaurant. The family eats a quiet lunch together and talks about their aspirations to move to the United States and start again.

When Rebecca accompanies Eunju to the bathroom, she suddenly disappears. Moments later, Eunju is found badly injured, but Rebecca is missing. The show leaves the incident unexplained, sparking theories. Her absence raises doubts about her loyalty despite her season-long character growth.

The ending is all about Rebecca's moral battle. She is kind to Juno, the lady who reared and controlled her, which reveals how complicated her loyalty is. Even though what Juno did hurt David and Rebecca directly, she could not bring herself to kill her. This choice shows the moral ambiguity that runs across Butterfly season 1, which is the struggle between revenge and keeping one's humanity.

Who attacked Eunju in Butterfly season 1?

The identity of Eunju’s attacker remains one of the season’s central mysteries. The series strongly suggests that the threat originates from outside the immediate family, potentially because of Juno's lasting power.

Earlier in the season, Juno's son Oliver (Louis Landau) plays a big role in the FBI's efforts to take down Caddis. David and Rebecca are able to get Oliver to help them, but Juno's network is still a threat.

Rebecca's attempt to go to the bathroom with Eunju shows that she may have seen a threat coming. There are some signs that she saw a waiter acting strangely, which made her follow Eunju. It is not clear if Rebecca was overwhelmed or was actively going after the perpetrator.

This intentional ambiguity adds to the tense spy-thriller mood that Butterfly season 1 creates throughout its story. The scene makes David and the viewers confused about who to believe, which sets up a dramatic and unresolved cliffhanger.

Why did Rebecca spare Juno in Butterfly season 1?

David’s plan to kill Juno seems straightforward. She betrayed him, put his family at risk, and turned Rebecca into a deadly operative. But in the climax, Rebecca steps in and asks her father to let Juno live. She remembers that Juno was a big part of her childhood and that, even though she was abused and manipulated, she shaped who she was.

This choice shows how conflicted Rebecca is inside. She cannot agree with what Juno did in the past, but she also will not let revenge guide her morals. By not killing Juno, Rebecca wins a moral triumph by choosing restraint over devastation. The scene also strengthens the main subject of family loyalty against justice, which is a big part of the emotional arc of Butterfly season 1.

David and Rebecca working together against Juno shows that they planned it out well. They trick Oliver into collaborating with the FBI, which provides them proof of Caddis' illegal business with Russia. Their actions make Juno's empire less stable and show that she is doing illegal things.

But Rebecca's decision to spare Juno raises the question of whether their moral high ground could put their family in even more danger, which is fully explored in the finale.

How David and Rebecca took down Juno

Psychological manipulation, espionage and direct confrontations are all part of the plan to neutralize Juno. The FBI is interested in Juno and Caddis because her espionage work is hurting relations between the U.S. and Russia, among other countries.

David and Rebecca work with the FBI to make sure that legal and tactical steps are in place. They make Oliver think that his mother is after him, which makes him comply and provide them information against Caddis.

After a violent raid on Juno's property, David goes straight to her. In the ensuing conflict, David eliminates Gun, Juno's most effective enforcer, and rescues Rebecca from captivity.

Rebecca stops David from killing Juno in a moment of moral clarity, which makes it even harder to resolve the season's main issue. Juno finally gets away on a private plane, but there are still loose threads that lead to the unresolved tension at the end of the series.

Butterfly season 1 ends with David and Rebecca destabilizing Juno and exposing Caddis. However, the season ends with Eunju hurt and Rebecca gone. Rebecca lets Juno go, and we still do not know what happened to Eunju.

The season follows important events like David faking his death and Rebecca making important choices. The end of the show solves certain problems but leaves others unsolved, showing how dangerous things are for the characters.

About the author

With over five years of work experience, Bea Melisse Ibañez is a seasoned writer covering K-pop, K-dramas, and the latest trends in the entertainment industry at Sportskeeda. Holding a Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism, Bea combines her academic background with her fascination for Hallyu culture, creating insightful and accurate content.

In her career, Bea has had the opportunity to interview prominent figures in the K-pop industry, including groups like TWICE and artists such as GOT7's BamBam, Lee Seung-gi, and Hwang Min-hyun.

As a pop-culture enthusiast, her love for Korean dramas and music began in high school, where she discovered 2nd and 3rd-generation K-pop groups. She also admires actors like Eddie Redmayne, Lee Joon-gi, and Park Eun-bin, and her favorite celebrity is Miley Cyrus.

In her free time, Bea likes to rewatch her favorite shows. If given a chance, she would like to be a part of the dazzling world of Hazbin Hotel.

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Edited by Bea Melisse Ibañez