Abhiroop Das
The first season of Prime Video’s ‘Butterfly‘ ends with tragedy and chaos, and protagonist David Jung is in search of answers. Although things appear to move towards a change of pace, with the family settling down to celebrate their win over all adversities, circumstances prove that David Jung and his near and dear ones have no rest written in their immediate futures. The same is also true for Juno Lund, whose ambition has not waned in the slightest, despite her entire empire crashing down in front of her eyes. Above all, her primary concern remains her son, Oliver Barnes, whose decisions have the potential to change things forever. While Prime Video has not greenlit the second season as of writing, the possibility is always there, and in the best-case scenario, one can expect the sequel to arrive between late 2026 and early 2027. SPOILERS AHEAD.
Season 2 of Butterfly Must Address its Jaw-dropping Cliffhanger
The first season of ‘Butterfly’ ends on a cliffhanger that flips the entire story upside down, with all the progress made by David threatening to come undone. When Rebecca and Eunju do not return from the washroom for too long, he goes in to check, only to find his wife gravely injured and his daughter nowhere to be found. This plot thread is bound to take center stage in the potential second season, with the protagonist suspecting Rebecca’s hand in this entire incident. This makes room for dramatic confrontations and subversion, playing into the uncertainty of these characters’ future. David has no shortage of enemies, with his most fearsome rival, Juno Lund, currently roaming free due to the wishes of his daughter. As such, the second season might feature him going on a quest for revenge, which can double up as a search and rescue for Rebecca.
Juno has her own problems to deal with, the most pressing of them being the status of her son, Oliver. Towards the end of the season, he divulges all of his mother’s secrets to the government, particularly Senator Dawson, and in return is granted immunity. However, Oliver’s final phone call with Juno leaves things on an ambiguous note, and it is possible that he will turn gears once again and work for his mother. Additionally, we hear Juno mention the name “Baron” while apologizing, opening the doors to a new potential storyline. Given that Caddis has formally been disbanded, her future hangs in the balance, but the former operative is confident in her ability to start another project from scratch. She intends to make her base somewhere without US regulations, and this spells trouble for our protagonists, as it could make Juno unstoppable.
Actor Daniel Dae Kim, who plays David and is also the executive producer of the show, expressed his hopes for the second season in an interview with TV Insider, stating, “I have lots of hopes for it. I hope there is a second season, first of all. But what I like about the show is that we’re already establishing that it’s an international show. So it makes the world our oyster. We could go anywhere. And given the nature of what David and Rebecca do, you could see them traveling. You could see them settling somewhere else. That’s kind of the goal at the start of Season 1. So we’ll see.” While this may be possible, there is also the setup of David working for Eunju’s father, Doo Tae Kim, in his shady business, in return for his providing the family with protection. Thus, the protagonist is all set for a new series of wild adventures.
Butterfly’s Second Season Can Continue the Characters’ Gray Dynamics
The first season ends with all characters dissatisfied with their present circumstances at best and horrified at worst. The most shocking developments take place in David’s life, as his efforts to complete his family and start a peaceful life go wrong. This also strains his relationship with his daughter, who is still traumatized from her childhood losses. In the interview with TV Insider, actor Daniel Dae Kim stated his belief that David no longer trusts his daughter, and that the following season might get into criticizing his naive mindset, a sentiment expressed by Juno. Her character is also at the center of many doubts, and in the same interview, actor Piper Perabo stated her belief that Juno is sincere in her final words of the show. Additionally, the actor contemplated what is going on in the antagonist’s mind, stating, “The immediate concerns of Juno on that plane at the end are, Can I get my son out of American custody?”
Rebecca and Eunju represent two ends of David’s life, and in the end, both characters are compromised to a great extent. Regardless of whether Eunju survives, things are bound to intensify between her father and her husband. The duo already has a work agreement in place, and David might have to go through hell to earn her, as well as her father’s, trust back. Actor Reina Hardesty, who essays Rebecca, had her own ideas for her arc in the potential sequel, and stated, “It would be really nice to see Rebecca decide what she actually wants, instead of coming from this place and needing to be loved and really sit with herself and meet herself and process these feelings. I’m really interested to see who she would be without her reactive tendencies. So essentially, therapy for Rebecca would be interesting.”
Not Many Changes Are Expected in the Cast for Season 2
Given that many of the main and supporting characters make it out of the first season in one piece, it is safe to say that their stories will continue if the sequel is greenlit. As such, Daniel Dae Kim, Piper Perabo, and Louis Landau are likely to reprise their roles as David Jung, Juno Lund, and Oliver Barnes, respectively. These key players in the story can also be supported by characters such as Senator Dawson and former Caddis Operative agent Hollis. Actors Sean Dulake and Charles Parnelle portray the two characters, respectively, and it is possible that their roles in the series will become more prominent, given that they are both now in a position of power. Child actor Nayoon Kim might also reprise her role as Minhee, David’s youngest daughter, further adding to the stakes and interpersonal conflicts.
Two major characters whose fates are still up in the air as of season one’s ending are Rebecca and Eunju, played by Reina Hardesty and Kim Tae-hee, respectively. However, given their prominence in the narrative, it is probable that the actors will reprise their roles for the second season. Notably, in the TV Insider interview, Tae-hee claimed to have no idea whether her character lives or dies but expressed her desire to do more action scenes if she became an active part in the second season. However, the same cannot be said for actor Kim Ji-hoon, whose character, Gun, dies in the final episode. While the same holds true for Yong Shik Choi, a character played by Park Hae-soo of ‘Squid Game‘ fame, there is enough suspense in his past to keep the possibility of a reappearance afloat.
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