The new Daniel Dae Kim spy thriller is here, and there’s no doubt that you want to get stuck in it. This is a six-episode binge-watch, which means you need to carve out the time, but is Butterfly something you can have on while the kids are around?
Butterfly is an action series from start to finish. It follows Kim’s David, a retired U.S. intelligence officer who has retired to South Korea. However, he’s pulled back into the game when he finds out his daughter has been trained to be an assassin.
He left his daughter, faking his death, to keep her safe. Now he needs to go back in to protect her, and that means revealing to her that he is still alive. How is his daughter going to take it, and can they end up working together when she has been sent to kill him?
Butterfly age rating: This is a TV-MA series for a reason
The official age rating for the new Prime Video series is TV-MA, and it earns it from the start. There is no shying away from the gruesomeness of dark private intelligence companies. Some people will do whatever it takes to remain on top, and that can even include treason.
Sex & nudity: The first episode includes a scene where a woman is having sex. The two characters have their clothes on, and nothing is overly gratuitous, but it’s clear what they are doing. In the world of spy work, casual sex is popular.
Violence & gore: This is where Butterfly arguably earns its TV-MA rating, with violence from the very beginning. There are various gun shootouts and martial art scenes. One gory moment in the premiere is going to stand out, and it could be daunting for younger members of the family. A man is being interrogated, and after he gives up the information, he is shot in the head, with the bullet wound and blood clearly showing on the screen.
Language: The F-bomb is dropped multiple times throughout the series, along with the S-word, B-words, and many other swear words.
Alcohol & drugs: The opening scene includes David at a bar with some of his colleagues and friends. They are all drinking while singing karaoke, and it’s clear that they have had way too much. Well, most of them have. It’s all a ploy for David. Alcohol is used throughout the series in terms of celebrations and coping mechanisms by characters.
Overall verdict: Who is Butterfly appropriate for?
This is one of those shows to binge-watch when the younger kids have gone to bed. While it is a TV-MA series, I could see teenagers enjoying it, especially older teenagers. If they’ve seen other spy thrillers, such as The Day of the Jackal, then they could appreciate this one.
Butterfly is now available to stream in full on Prime Video.