Streamed: Familial friction enhances Prime's spy drama'Butterfly'

Daniel Dae Kim is having a helluva year. Not only was he Tony-nominated for his lead role in Broadway’s revival of Yellow Face, but he stars in the anticipated Prime Video family spy drama, Butterfly. The series is serviceable as an action-packed thriller, but shines when examining the repercussions of parents’ sins.

The globe-trekking series follows Kim as David Jung, a special intelligence ops agent who “died” nine years ago to protect his family from a violent fate. He’s now resurfaced to save his daughter, Reina Hardesty’s Rebecca, from following his footsteps. His pursuit of freedom is challenged by a former colleague, Piper Perabo’s Juno.

Created by Ken Woodruff and Steph Cha, the series has a great, urgent pace, as our leads outsmart and outfight their opponents. Kim, who is best known for his role in ABC’s Lost, could have been leading action films for years. And he is made better by Hardesty’s performance as Rebecca. Ruthless and efficient, she complements his more reserved approach. They are great on screen as partners and an estranged father and daughter.

While the espionage isn’t necessarily heightened, the fight choreography and action scenes are still great to experience. The opener with Rebecca sets the tone of what to expect for the remaining five episodes. And each episode manages to end with a clever cliffhanger, making this a satisfying bingeing experience.

Beneath the spy format lies a narrative about parenting and nature vs. nurture. Almost all of the familial relationships — parent and offspring — are fraught with the sins of the past. Attempts to protect cause more harm and long-lasting damage. Bouts of grief and abandonment are filled with any sign of affection, no matter who it comes from. It’s an unexpected turn that enhances the cat-and-mouse A-plot leading to some surprising developments.

Overall, come for Butterfly’s action sequences, and stay for the familial feud. All six episodes are available to stream on Prime Video now.