Ty

Act 1: Meet Cute & Mutual Pinning

Eleonora's younger sister, Regina, starts dating a local playboy, who happens to be the son of Giovanni, a notorious former mob boss.

One night, when Regina sneaks out, Sebastião, their old-fashioned father, goes looking for her, prompting Eleonora to rush to Giovanni's house to warn her sister.

There, she meets Giovanni's daughter, Jenifer, and is instantly smitten.

Together, the two plot to find their siblings and avoid a disaster.

The next day Jenifer goes looking for Eleonora to ask if their coverup worked out. They go out for coffee and the two bond over their mutual interest in the medical area.

They start hanging out, much to the delight of Jenifer's family, who had all been encouraging her to be more outgoing and who see Eleonora as a potential role model for Jenifer. Eleonora also introduces Jenifer to her parents, who instantly like her.

Sebastião: That girl is the daughter in law of my dreams. Eleonora: Say less.

Jenifer just wants to spent every second with her new bestie.

Eleonora is already deciding the names of their future cats.

One night, after going out for dinner, the two are saying goodbye and accidentally kiss on the lips instead. Jenifer laughs it off, it's totally not going to become a thing.

It absolutely becomes a thing.

They start greeting each other with a peck on the lips every time they meet up. Heteronormativity keeps Jenifer oblivious but everyone else starts getting sus of how close they are.

Eleonora can't help but hope their relationship can develop into a romance, but doesn't want to push it and risk their friendship.

Act 2: Angst & In Vino Veritas

People around the neighborhood start gossiping about them until word hits Giovanni, who asks Jenifer if there's any truth to the rumors. Mob dad is trying to be supportive, baby gay is confused and in denial.

She rushes to the hospital where Eleonora works and they finally discuss their feelings.

Jenifer: Are you gay? Eleonora: Am I gay? I'm ecstatic! Jenifer: I can forgive holding hands, looking into each other's eyes longingly and kissing, but I draw a line at homosexuality.

Jenifer freaks out, cutting Eleonora off completely when she tries to talk things over, and overcompensating by dating literally the first man she comes across. And I do mean literally. She picks him up in the middle of the street, it's kinda hilarious tbh.

Weeks go by, and Jenifer, still trying to forget about Eleonora, starts partying, skipping classes and drinking, while Eleonora dives into work. Both their families worry.

Jenifer eventually drops the act with the guy she was dating when he tries to take things further. She then gets completely wasted and drives to Eleonora's house but chickens out before knocking and leaves, while a heartbroken Eleonora watches from behind the curtains.

Eventually Eleonora catches Jennifer in front of her house again and confronts her.

Act 3: Friends to Lovers & U-Haul

Jenifer confesses she's scared but can't stay away from Eleonora, who reassures her that they can face anything together.

They spend the night together and the next morning Jenifer says she wants to be with Eleonora but needs a bit more time to tell her family. Eleonora doesn't mind but is lowkey looking up engagement ring prices by now.

They eventually come out to Jenifer's father, Giovanni, who shows support after Jenifer ensures him that she is certain that this is what she wants. Before they can come out to Eleonora's family though, Eleonora's father, Sebastião, catches them kissing and threatens to kick Eleonora out.

Giovanni intervenes and convinces him to talk to Eleonora with an open mind. They talk, he says he loves her even if he doesn't understand her.

Eleonora starts looking for an apartment anyway and talks to Jenifer about moving in together some day.

A few months into their relationship Eleonora finds a baby abandoned in front of the hospital. She takes him in and calls social services agents who tell her he will stay in the hospital for a while until they make sure he's okay.

Later on, when Jenifer comes by to meet him, Eleonora reveals that since the birth parents couldn't be found she'd like to adopt him and that motherhood is something that she'd been dreaming of for a while. Even though only Eleonora could be the legal guardian, since same sex adoption wasn't legal back then, she asks Jenifer if she'd be willing to be the baby's other parent.

Jenifer is anxious at first but once she bonds with the kid she agrees with the plan right away and goes to Giovanni, who gladly gets them a lawyer to help them get custody of the baby while they start getting their apartment ready.

Fast forward a few months, towards the final few episodes, they finish setting up their apartment and Jenifer moves in just as Eleonora gets custody of their son.

In the final episode they announce they are going to sign a civil union contract, the only legal form of gay marriage at the time.

In their final scene, they're together in their home, putting their son to sleep.

The End

This ship became a reference for gay rights in the early 2000s and a huge stepping stone when it came to queer in representation in Brazilian television, but it also pretty much ended the careers of both actresses on mainstream TV.

Sadly, when the telenovela was aired again in 2017, the country was under a far right government that was explicitly anti-LGBT and most of the content involving their relationship was censored.

To this day, when I hear about another attempt to take down gay or trans rights, I remember being 12 years old in a room filled with homophobic relatives and watching this silly telenovela that taught me that being gay was okay.

Representation on media matters.