At the end of the 19th century, a poor family comes to the rural Canudos, a community led by Antônio Conselheiro, seen by many as a holy prophet. Their ways bother the powerful people of the region, and the newly founded Republic sends their army to destroy the settlement, which culminates in one of the bloodiest wars in the history of Brazil.

While in the hospital, after being run over, Alaíde thinks about her life, specially after the moment she'd found the diary of Madame Clessy, in the house where her family had moved in, which was a former bordello.

The real story of Carlos Lamarca, a captain who, during the military dictatorship in Brazil, deserted Brazilian Army and got involved in left-wing guerilla groups, becoming one of their most prominent leaders.

In 1970, the Esquadrão da Morte (Death Squad)' crimes for the refinement of violence provoked a wave of reactions throughout the country. The photos of the victims, adorned by the skull, symbol of the group, caused an uncomfortable indignation. This is the story of Mateus Romeiro, the most famous of the policemen, who was part of the Homens de Aço (Steelmen) group, one of the factions in which the squadron was divided.

Adaptation and unification in a single story of several stories by the writer Rubem Fonseca, where the theme of violence in contemporary society is explored.

A man who grew up an orphan finally gets to meet his father: The psychopath Dr. Josef Mengele, the Auschwitz surgeon who performed genetic experiments on concentration camp refugees during WWII.

The psychoanalyst Inês intends not to be lovingly involved with anyone else. However, she ends up falling in love with two men at the same time, unaware that they are father and son.

With death getting near, a retired officer remembers the most important passages in his life and his participation in historical events in Brazil, such as the Lieutenants' Movement, and the 1964 coup.