What role does Daniel Dae Kim play in Butterfly season 1? Character explored

Butterfly season 1 is a gripping spy thriller based on the Boom! Studio's graphic novel by Arash Amel and Marguerite Bennett. Set in South Korea, the story follows the life of David Jung, a former American intelligence operative who lives under an assumed name after a catastrophic betrayal. Daniel Dae Kim stars as Jung, a man pushed out of retirement when his estranged daughter, now an assassin for a clandestine agency, comes for him.

As old secrets come to light, he is drawn into a deadly game for the safety of both his original and new families. With swift action and genuine emotional investment, Kim brings depth to the character, capturing the struggle of a father trying to redeem himself in the face of danger in Butterfly season 1.

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Daniel Dae Kim plays David Jung in Butterfly season 1

Daniel Dae Kim as David Jung (Image via Prime Video)

Daniel Dae Kim plays David Jung, a former U.S. intelligence agent who has been leading a secret life in South Korea since assuming a new identity, in Butterfly season 1. Years before, David's trusted friend Juno betrayed him by passing sensitive information to terrorist mastermind Hugo Maldonado, killing his whole team and putting his teenage daughter Rebecca in grave danger.

To safeguard her, David pretended to be killed off and severed all contact, something that kept them at odds with each other for almost a decade. David is lured out of seclusion at the beginning of the series when Rebecca, now a Caddis-trained assassin, is sent to murder him.

Their reunion is complicated by mistrust, resentment, and competing loyalties, but David is resolute in keeping her from Caddis and reuniting as a family. His odyssey follows him through South Korea, with relentless pursuit, as he works to keep not only Rebecca, but also his new wife, Eunju, and their little daughter, Minhee, safe.

David's journey combines espionage with individual redemption. He battles violent opposition, such as Caddis enforcer Gun, and is torn by moral dilemmas, like sparing Juno's life on Rebecca's insistence. David and Rebecca start to mend their broken relationship over time, but trust is tenuous.

The season ends with David making plans for a new life in the United States, only for a new tragedy to befall him when Eunju is seriously hurt and Rebecca goes missing. The unfinished last seconds highlight David's continued battle to save his family, indicating that his struggle and story are anything but concluded.

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All about Butterfly season 1

Butterfly season 1 is a six-episode Prime Video spy thriller series based on the Boom! Studio's graphic novel by Arash Amel and Marguerite Bennett. Primarily shot in South Korea, the film depicts the tense reacquaintance of David Jung, a retired U.S. intelligence agent living an assumed identity, with his estranged daughter, Rebecca, who works as an assassin for a clandestine agency named Caddis.

Years ago, a backstab in David's inner circle prompted him to go into hiding and stage his death to shield Rebecca, cutting off all connections and paving the way for a tense father–daughter relationship.

The series combines high-stakes spying with an emotional center as David and Rebecca traverse distrust, conflicting allegiances, and the specter of Caddis. They find themselves on the move through urban landscapes and desolate terrain as they seek to outfox experienced operatives, uncover internal power struggles, and deal with the repercussions of past actions.

In addition to action sequences, the show focuses on family ties, gray areas regarding morality, and the price of survival in the intelligence community. Balancing global suspense with personal drama, Butterfly season 1 offers both charged spy action and complex relationships between characters, laying the groundwork for more conflict and unresolved questions in possible future seasons.

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Butterfly season 1 is available to stream on Amazon Prime Video.