Prime Video's crime thriller Butterfly has been cancelled after just one season. The six-part series, which has been hailed by viewers as "superb" and "gripping", has not been renewed for a second season, according to Deadline. The drama, based on Arash Amel's BOOM! Studios' graphic novel series, stars Daniel Dae Kim as enigmatic former US spy David Jungan, whose life in South Korea is turned upside down when the consequences of a decision from his past catch up with him.
Prime Video made renewal decisions about both Butterfly and the crime drama Countdown, deciding not to proceed with second seasons of both shows, despite the dramas both breaking into the Nielsen Top 10 for Streaming Originals. They weren't the only Prime Video shows to be axed this year, as the young adult drama Motorheads was cancelled after one season.
© Juhan Noh/PrimeThe disappointment of cancelled shows is a familiar feeling among audiences of the streaming age, with the decision usually down to a range of factors, from viewership numbers to completion rate – the percentage of viewers who watch a video from start to finish – and cost. Sadly, Butterfly isn't the first show to be canned after one season, and they won't be the last! But in case you missed it, keep reading to find out all you need to know about the binge-worthy drama.
What is Butterfly about?
The spy thriller is described as a story about "complex family dynamics within the treacherous world of global espionage". The series follows David Jung, a highly unpredictable former US intelligence operative living in South Korea "whose life is blown to pieces when the consequences of an impossible decision from his past come back to haunt him, and he finds himself pursued by Rebecca, a deadly, sociopathic young agent assigned to kill him, and Caddis, the sinister spy organization she works for," according to the synopsis.
© Juhan Noh/PrimeWhat have viewers said about the show's cancellation?
It's safe to say viewers aren't happy about the show's cancellation, with one person writing on X: "Butterfly and Countdown cancelled? Really?!" while another added: "My two favourite shows on Prime this year, Countdown and Butterfly, have just been cancelled!!!"
© Juhan Noh/PrimeWhat did TV critics say about the show?
The series scored a respectable rating of 68 per cent on Rotten Tomatoes and received mainly positive reviews from critics. While Variety said the show was "all action with little heart", The Hollywood Reporter described the drama as a "blandly sweet thriller", and the Los Angeles Times said the show "packages family melodrama as an action-packed thriller".
