The soap opera Três Graças, by Aguinaldo Silva, appears to include subtle references to Manuela Dias' remake of Vale Tudo. Elements like social themes and ethical scenes highlight differences from the 1988 original and the recent adaptation. Actor Marcos Palmeira makes an unexpected return to the cast as an absent father.
One of the authors of the original Vale Tudo (1988), Aguinaldo Silva appears to send a not-so-subtle message to Manuela Dias' remake through Três Graças, which replaced the soap in Globo's primetime slot. In just a few weeks on air, viewers spot elements responding to gaps in the recent adaptation, such as the romanticization of poverty without deepening Raquel's (Taís Araujo) struggle.
Três Graças addresses evident social themes, highlighting challenges of single mothers, teen pregnancy, and public health issues. An initial scene shows a hospital receiving only pregnant women, without fathers present, contrasting the remake's superficial approach. In directing, camera work emphasizes engaging interactions, like those of Arminda (Grazi Massafera) with a sculpture, avoiding continuity errors in Vale Tudo, such as Afonso's (Humberto Carrão) three hands or the disappearance of Solange's (Alice Wegmann) and Maria de Fátima's (Bella Campos) pregnant bellies.
On ethics, Maria de Fátima's baby sale, absent from the 2025 remake, returns: Joélly (Alana Cabral) will sell her baby to pay boyfriend Raul's (Paulo Mendes) drug debt, with help from Samira (Fernanda Vasconcellos). Eugênio's cinephile trait, removed by Dias, reappears in Josefa (Arlete Salles), who will cite cinema classics. The villain Arminda delivers sharp lines, like “Shut up, you crazy old woman” or criticisms of politicians and monarchy.
Marcos Palmeira, 62, plays Joaquim, Gerluce's (Sophie Charlotte) absent father. He admits Três Graças was not in his plans after Renascer (2024): “I was surprised when I accepted this soap opera; I thought it had been a year since Renascer, but two years had passed. Things flowed and I accepted. I'm happy.” In upcoming chapters, Zenilda (Andréia Horta) earns her OAB license to focus on her career, despite disdain from Arminda and Ferette (Murilo Benício), starting a revenge. Joélly will face friend rejection over her pregnancy, retorting: “First, we're not friends. Second, it's none of your business.”
