Scars of Beauty

I started watching Beleza Fatal as a way to practice my Portuguese, and honestly, I didn't expect to get this into it. I figured I'd just casually watch a few episodes, maybe pick up some vocabulary... but next thing I knew, I was bingeing episode after episode like it was nothing.

The plot is addictive, but it's the character development that really pulled me in. Every character has depth. They're messy, complicated, and human. That's what makes them feel so real. You find yourself rooting for them, then getting mad at them, then feeling bad for them... all in the same episode. It's the kind of emotional rollercoaster that makes you forget it's even a show.

And the acting? So natural. Every person plays their role so perfectly that it doesn't feel scripted at all. You actually feel what they're going through. Some scenes hit hard. I had to pause and sit with it for a second.

As someone learning Portuguese, this show was an amazing way to get fully immersed in the language. I picked up way more than I expected. Real-life expressions, slang, pronunciation, and a whole cultural vibe that no textbook could ever teach.

So yeah, I didn't think Beleza Fatal would have me this hooked. But here we are. If you like shows with strong characters, wild twists, and stories that keep you thinking about them even after the credits roll, this one is definitely worth watching.

Forget any other nighttime drama you've ever seen. This is the 1 you need to see. There is an enduring love story thread through this telenovella filled with: Drama, shade, comedy, sex, money, power, drugs, and twisting, turning storylines that will keep you coming back for more. Kudos to the writers for creating this mosaic homage to soaps. Salute to the performers who are all in as they welcome us in to this sordid world. Thank you MAX for presenting this adrenaline rush and feast for our eyes. 10/10. So...

Go to the bathroom, prepare your snacks and settle in for the wildest tv you'll ever see. 🔥🔥

The first series from Max, HBO's streaming platform, premiered on January 27, after many delays and uncertainties. The recording of the 40 episodes lasted around seven months and even after the work was finished, there was no set date for its release. It was announced for 2024, but the producer decided to postpone it to 2025. On Friday (03/21), the last episode was shown, after the 5 weekly episodes made available every Monday --- a strategy almost identical to that of Globoplay.

Created and written by Raphael Montes and general direction by Maria de Médicis, the production marks Warner Bros. Discovery's bet on the genre, being the platform's first original national soap opera in Latin America. "Beleza Fatal" brings in its plot a classic story of the search for justice that takes place in the hectic world of beauty and aesthetic treatments.

"Beleza Fatal" was a 40-episode series. After the success achieved through many published books and the series "Bom Dia, Verônica", the author proved that he also knows how to make soap operas. It is important to note that the production was supervised by Silvio de Abreu, which made all the difference considering his experience as a soap opera writer in over 40 years at Globo. The direction by Maria de Médicis (another experienced professional who worked for many years at the leading network) was another success for the plot, which was also supervised by Mariano Cesar, Monica Albuquerque and Anouk Aaron on behalf of Warner Bros. Discovery.

My full assessment of this TV series:

• Giovana Antonelli and Julia Stockler are the standout performers, delivering their all in challenging roles. The highlight is Gio, who had a caricatured role in her hands and who at the beginning of the plot was completely sidelined, Sophia's shadow, but who shone and filled the screen in every scene.

• Among some ok and bad performances, Enzo Romaní is without a doubt the biggest negative highlight. Starting with the construction of his character, which was horrible! If he had died in the first phase, it wouldn't have made any difference. Enzo's performance was not at all convincing and every scene with him was torturous

• It is to be expected that in 40 chapters it would be extremely difficult to develop all the subplots, but even so the balance is positive here. The script managed to deliver everything it needed to start, develop and close the story it wanted to tell! And it left the impression that if there were more chapters, it wouldn't have been enough, because all the main characters were great and having more of them would have been great!

8/10, and with the hope that Raphel Montes writes more soap operas, for streaming, and that he consolidates himself as one of the biggest names in Brazilian television drama.

The show started well, with a strong plot centered on Sofia's revenge, making it very interesting to watch and follow.

At first, I disliked Lola, but over time, I realized she is the best character in the series, fun and a great villain. On the other hand, Gabriel turned out to be the worst, constantly making bad decisions.

However, after episode 30, the series became a HUGE mess, with a strange and terrible storyline. The chaotic drama direction completely ruined the engaging buildup.

Everything that happened in the final episodes made me lower my rating, which is unfortunate because it had great potential in the beginning.

A hodge.podge.of over the top acting and situatiions, unrelatable acting and illogical decisionmaking. All of these elements are used to create a hard to watch mixture of storytelling that is worse than the average B movie. Intertwined plotlines with the most irrational decisionmaking by characters makes this more a bad comedy than a TV series. Brazil offers better productions. The "character developments" at some point are predictable, when you expect the dumbest thing that can happen. This is terrible and cringe to watch. Even for Brazil novella standards. My eyes and brain are still bleeding.