From left to right: Antonio Tabet, Fábio Porchat, João Vicente de Castro, and Gregório Duvivier.
Futuro Ex-Porta is a Brazilian YouTube Originals reality television series developed by Porta dos Fundos (BackDoor), in which the comedy troupe aims to select a new actor to join their cast. The first two episodes premiered on the troupe's YouTube channel on October 30, 2021.
Out of over 7 thousand applications, ten participants were selected for the competition: Dan Biurrum, Priscila Castello Branco, Catharina Conte, Julia Guerra, Rodrigo Naice, Rafael Pimenta, Macla Tenório, Luiz Titoin, Bruna Trindade, and Pedro Truszko.
The name of the show refers to an internal joke that the actors who join the troupe only do so to gain exposure and then leave for big TV networks like Rede Globo.
The show is hosted by four judges, who are the four co-owner actors of Porta dos Fundos: Fábio Porchat, Gregório Duvivier, Antonio Tabet, and João Vicente de Castro.
Futuro Ex-Porta contains examples of:
- AcCENT upon the Wrong SylLABle: The stress of Macla's name is sometimes placed on "Ma" and sometimes on "cla" (the latter is the "official" pronunciation, but she accepts both).
- Acting for Two: In-universe.
- In Episode 3, Dan plays both Jorge and his benign tumor Mariano.
- In Episode 7, the participants have to create a sketch playing 2-4 characters using different filters, mimicking the Porta dos Fundos segment "Família sem Filtros", played by Rafael Portugal.
- Back for the Finale: All 7 eliminated participants return in the finale, making brief comments and even participating in the first sketch as background characters. They're also all together when the winner is announced.
- Brainless Beauty: Thamiris Feitoza, played by Rodrigo Naice in Episode 5, is a former reality show participant who is now running for mayor of Caçapava.Thamiris Feitoza: As a white, cis, vegan woman, I believe in a government that favors the LGTC+ community. I'm Thamiris Feitoza, of the No-Party Party. Vote 14, the best for Piracicaba... Caçapava!
- Breaking the Fourth Wall: Some participants were criticized for attempting to break the fourth wall by facing the judges directly. It's considered a mistake because the performances are supposed to mimic Porta dos Fundos sketches, not stage plays, so technically the judges are not the actual audience.
- In Episode 2, Catharina and Dan were criticized for addressing the judges directly a few times during their performance, which, according to João Vicente, made the sketch too "theatrical".
- In Episode 4, Pimenta was praised for facing the camera during the fictional debate, making his performance as a candidate in a televised debate seem much more realistic. Meanwhile, the other participants were criticized for only facing either each other or the judges, even though, in Gregório Duvivier's words, the judges "don't exist" in the scene.
- Brutal Honesty: "Demonic Truths", one of the two scripts of Episode 4 (played by Julia and Macla, and then Luiz and Priscila, in the four performances of the script) is set in a parody of a Rede Record show, featuring a pastor and the devil. The latter claims that Rede Record evades taxes, tells the audience to switch to another channel, and threatens to reveal many other secrets of the network.
- Camera Fiend: Exaggerated in Episode 3, in the sketch where Naice plays a gynecologist that has the audacity to host livestreams showing the infected vaginas of his patients, such as Marina (played by Bruna), to his social media followers, while comparing the vaginal fluids (which he calls "pussy juice") to things like bubble gum and slime, and holding polls asking the audience what diseases they think the patients have. Marina is extremely embarrassed at first and repeatedly asks the doctor to stop filming her, but changes her mind when she notices her number of social media followers has skyrocketed.
- Comically Missing the Point: Vânia do 1509, played by Julia in Episode 5, thinks "education" means "manners". note
- Compassionate Critic: The judges are pretty nice when criticizing the participants' performances and try to be compassionate and uplifting when eliminating them. Even the blunter and more aloof Antonio Tabet is respectful in his evaluations.
- Conspiracy Theorist: In Episode 5, Priscila plays an unnamed mayoral candidate who claims that everything is a lie, and that the Chinese are spying on them. She cannot reveal her identity, defends the "spoken vote", and asks people to find her on Telegram.
- Cyclops: In Episode 7, Macla uses a cyclops filter for the father character (and is criticized for it by the judges).
- Daddy's Girl: Soninha de João Luiz, the mayoral candidate played by Macla in Episode 5, is the spoiled daughter of the previous mayor of Caçapava.
- Demonic Possession: Episode 4 features two scripts in which a pastor tries to exorcise a demon from someone.
- Fortune Teller: In Episode 3, Priscila plays a doctor who can read people's futures... out of feces, of all things.
- For Your Own Good: In the finale, in the sketch played by Bruna and João Vicente, when Samson decides to wear a bandanna after Delilah cuts his hair:Delilah: Samson, I'm gonna have to blind you. But it's for your own good.
- Game Show Host: Pimenta's character in Episode 3 at first seems to be a regular doctor, but then it's revealed the appointment is actually a game show of which the doctor is the host.
- Granola Girl:
- In her application video, Bruna plays Grela da Silva, an "Afro-eco-feminist actress".
- In Episode 5, Bruna once again plays a Granola Girl, the mayoral candidate Krishna Mandir, who is a parody of a ThetaHealing coach.
- He-Man Woman Hater: Dan plays the sexist character Jorge in Episode 3.Jorge: You sure talk! Damn, if I knew you talked so much, I would've seen a male doctor!
- Improv:
- Episode 5 has the participants playing fictional mayoral candidates, and they have to improvise in a comedic political debate.
- The challenge of Episode 6 consists of three dedicated improv games.
- I Am Not Shazam: Discussed in-universe by Luis Lobianco in Episode 1, when he says that some people who see him on the street call him "Porta dos Fundos", even though he's no longer in the troupe.
- Inconsistent Spelling:
- Julia Guerra's name is spelled without an acute accent, but the subtitles misspell it as "Júlia".
- The name of the character played by Naice in Episode 5 is spelled "Thamiris" in the Portuguese subtitles and the fictional political ad video, but it's spelled "Thamires" on her pulpit. Meanwhile, the English subtitles call her "Tamires".
- Internal Homage: In Episode 2, the participants are greeted by several signature Porta dos Fundos characters: Dona Helena (Fabio de Luca), Peçanha and Mesquita (Antonio Tabet and Pedro Benevides), Jéssica (Thati Lopes), and the God of Polynesia (Rafael Infante). In addition, their first challenge is to recreate two classic Porta dos Fundos sketches, "Sobre a Mesa" and "Judite".
- It's All About Me: In Episode 3, Macla plays a selfish doctor that downplays all the complaints of her patient Pedro (played by Luiz) and finds a way to make all of them about herself.
- Lack of Empathy: In Episode 3, Macla plays a doctor who shows no compassion for her cancer patient (played by Luiz) and manages to respond to all of his complaints with futile complaints about her own personal life. With a blasé face, she tells him he's gonna die in three months, but he's actually lucky, since in three months she has to attend the birthday party of a friend she hates.
- Last-Name Basis:
- Rafael Pimenta is mostly referred to as "Pimenta".
- Rodrigo Naice is usually referred to as "Naice". Even though his real given name is actually Naice Rodrigo, his stage name reverses the order.
- Lifelines: Parodied in Pimenta and Pedro's sketch in Episode 3. After the doctor's appointment is subverted into a game show, Ademir (Pedro) is asked how many women accused Dr. Roger Abdelmassih of sexual abuse. Ademir gets to call someone to help him, so he calls his aunt, who was one of the doctor's victims.
- Marijuana Is LSD: Episode 1 shows that one of the rejected application videos features a character having LSD-like reactions to marijuana.Gregório: It's disinformation about weed, an absurdity.
- Motor Mouth:
- Dan Biurrum talks very fast.
- Julia is criticized for talking too fast in the political ad video in Episode 5, and again in the finale.
- Mustache Vandalism:
- Episode 1 shows defaced pictures of the several actors who have left the comedy troupe.
- There's a screen with a picture of each of the ten participants shown in every episode. Whenever one is eliminated, the respective picture is replaced with a comically defaced one.
- My Future Self and Me: Both Dan and Catharina's application videos feature them talking to future versions of themselves, who (will) have already participated in Futuro Ex-Porta.
- Named After Somebody Famous: As an internal gag, in Episode 3, Marina (played by Bruna) mentions she owns a horse called "João Vincent", obviously named after João Vicente de Castro.
- Nepotism: It's implied that Soninha de João Luiz (played by Macla in Episode 5) only has a political career because of her father, a previous mayor of Caçapava.
- No Name Given: Priscila plays a Conspiracy Theorist mayoral candidate in Episode 5 who can't reveal her identity.
- Portmanteau: "Macla" is a portmanteau of her real given name, Maria Clara.
- Putting the "Medic" in Comedic: All five sketches of Episode 3 feature comedic interactions between doctor and patient.
- Quaking with Fear: As João Vicente points out, Bruna is so nervous when recording the final sketch that she's literally shaking.
- Self-Parody: In one of the improv challenges of Episode 6, Julia briefly parodies herself forgetting the script in Episode 4.
- Silence Is Golden: Priscila's application video was praised by the judges for conveying sarcasm and humor despite her not saying a single word in it.
- Sketch Comedy: Given that Porta dos Fundos is a sketch channel, in most of the challenges, the participants have to create sketch-like comedy scenes.
- Sleazy Politician: Dr. Paulo Roxo (Dr. Dick Purple in the English subtitles), played by Pimenta in Episode 5. He is heavily implied to be a corrupt mayor, and one of his proposals includes using homeless people as guinea pigs for vaccines before using them on "good citizens".Dr. Dick Purple: No more changes! I want your support to continue the great work we've been doing in Caçapava for over 25 years, despite the rumors we're systematically offing the opposition with the help of the Military Police. My number is 30. Dr. Dick Purple. Up theirs!
- Sore Loser: Bruna does not take her loss lightly in Episode 5. After being eliminated, she claims to be "surprised", given her good trajectory so far, and later on, in tears, says it's unfair "to be judged just by the amount of laughs you get out of four straight white men".
- Special Guest: Besides the four main hosts/judges, most episodes feature an additional one, either a former or a current member of the cast of Porta dos Fundos (Júlia Rabello in Episode 3, Rafael Infante in Episode 4, Karina Ramill in Episode 5, Rafael Portugal in Episode 7, and director Ian SBF in Episode 8). Aside from the finale, there's also always a special guest to announce the winner of each episode's challenge (Fábio Porchat's grandmother in Episode 2, Fani Pacheco in Episode 3, Inri Cristo in Episode 4, Jean Wyllys in Episode 5, Supla in Episode 6, and Fat Family in Episode 7).
- The Symbiote: In Episode 3, Dan plays the patient Jorge and his sentient benign tumor Mariano.
- Those Two Guys: The credits always feature Estevam Nabote and Pedro Benevides commenting on/parodying the events of the episodes, complaining about their job, and worrying that they'll be fired and replaced by whomever the winner is.
- Throw It In!: In-universe. According to the judges, some of Macla's strongest traits are her fast thinking and creativity, which really works in her favor in the finale. According to Ian SBF (the director, who's also a judge in the final episode) and Gregório Duvivier (who acted alongside her), some lines of dialogue of her sketch, including referring to the Bible as a "fanfic" and pointing out its bad binding, were improvised, but it ended up elevating the scene.
- Traumatic Haircut: Taken from the story of Samson and Delilah, parodied in the finale in the sketch starring Bruna and João Vicente. According to Delilah, his hair did not give him strength: actually, everyone else lost their strength laughing at his hairstyle.
- Unwanted Revival: Dula, played by Julia in the finale, is furious at Jesus for ressurecting her, since she had gone to heaven.
- The Vitruvian Pose: Referenced in Catharina's reinvention of "Sobre a Mesa" in Episode 2:Odete: After I cum, I'll be like the Vitruvian woman, like a starfish in bed!
- We Were Rehearsing a Play: When Julia forgets the script in Episode 4, Macla manages to make Julia get her act together, and jokingly tells the judges it's all part of the scene.
