Written by Dias Gomes, it was freely inspired by a novel of the author himself, it counted in general direction and supervision of Roberto Farias and Ignácio Coqueiro.
Following the death of Tancredo Neves to the election and downfall of President Fernando Collor, the Tavares Branco are failing and revealing their moral and financial problems.
The plot begins in 1970 with the judge Tavares Branco accepting a priest's request to raise an orphan boy, Mariel, who stays under the care of maid Jandira.
Although they love each other, Mariel and Carla have different ideals of life: he intends to grow more and more with their churches, and she, quite politicized, elect of the PT, does not agree with her unethical way of acting.
Decadência caused a great controversy with a religious preaching of Mariel, character of Edson Celulari, who found a quote from the spiritual leader of the Universal Church of the Kingdom of God, Bishop Edir Macedo.