Rapid Insights: ‘Butterfly’ Demonstrates Why Action Thrillers Hit Harder When POV Turns Personal

Who’s been watching this exciting new series?
We’re seeing an audience that leans toward women (58%) and is mostly aged 35+ (84%)–an older and more female-skewing viewership than we often see for action-heavy spy thrillers on streaming services. Shows like The Night Agent, Jack Ryan, and the Citadel franchise tend to appeal more strongly to men and pull in a few more <35s than Butterfly. The latter’s deep exploration of a father-daughter relationship and its two strong female leads (one protagonist, one antagonist) may help account for its differing demographic profile.

Why have viewers been tuning in? 
For the amped-up excitement. Butterfly offers up plenty of gunfights, hand-to-hand combat, car chases, explosions, and other heart-pounding Action & Violence (139) as former agent David Jung is forced to tangle once again with the dangerous intelligence agency that betrayed him nine years prior. Determined to finally take them down (Dangerous Mission, 139), David must recruit his estranged daughter (Team Up, 111) and fight back against an army of ruthless operatives (Overcoming Adversity, 116) to achieve justice at long last. The fact that the show is set in South Korea and boasts a  diverse ensemble cast (Cultural Diversity, 127) adds to its draws and sets up another key ratings driver.

What’s making this first season so bingeworthy? 
The family drama. Butterfly examines the complex Father-Child Relationship (134) between David and the troubled daughter he left behind, and it’s this recognizably human story within the morally gray world of Espionage (118) that gives the show its beating heart. David and daughter Rebecca must work to overcome a Troubled Past (131) full of Trauma & Tragedy (111) in order to truly reconnect; at the same time, Rebecca’s talent as an assassin and loyalty to her father’s sworn Archenemy (111)–the manipulative head of the spy organization–infinitely complicates their reunion. Audiences are leaning forward to root for their touching connection and see how their relationship will ultimately unfold. In addition, these same themes that play into the show’s bingeability are also driving its longevity and will help propel the story forward if Butterfly is renewed for another season.

How does the show’s social buzz look? 
Very strong. Online activity rocketed to the top of our buzz meter (at 160) with the August 13 release of the full six-episode season and has consistently remained there in the three weeks since. Such a promising start suggests the show will have legs, as viewers post and tweet about the showstopping action, dangerous spy missions, and central father-daughter relationship.

What’s standing out about the show in South Korea? 
The spy genre. Set and filmed on location in Seoul and across the country, Butterfly provides an authentic look at the vibrancy and beauty of South Korea. However, while this setting stands out as a major ratings draw in the US, it’s unsurprisingly much less of a distinctive selling point in its home market (Cultural Diversity, KR 91). Instead, Korean audiences are expected to be pulled in by the show’s clever spycraft and Espionage (KR 120) trappings–much more so than the tense Action & Violence (KR 94) that’s the #1 driver for Americans.

—