Plot Synopsis

Based on the novel by Lars Saabye Christensen and taking place primarily in Oslo from the time of Norway's Liberation Day in 1945 until 1990, THE HALF BROTHER is a family drama spanning four generations. In 1990, Barnum and his girlfriend, Vivian, return to his childhood home, where they search for furniture in the attic, stumbling on his mother's camera and finding a picture of Barnum's half-brother, Fred, who disappeared 22 years earlier. This series flashes back in time to tell the story of these two half brothers, as a modern-day, adult Barnum searches for Fred. In 1945 Oslo, as three women prepared to celebrate Liberation Day, young Vera, Barnum's mother, went to the attic to fetch a new dress, and was assaulted and raped. Nine months later, Fred was born in a taxi. A few years later, Barnum was born. As adult Barnum continues the search for his long lost half-brother, his quest leads him to a journalist who wrote about Fred when he was a young, promising boxer many years ago. His search then leads him to a new clue about his half brother, realizing that to find Fred, he must find a valuable family treasure that was given to Fred; meanwhile, Fred is searching for his biological father. Young Barnum relives his youth, wondering if Fred is to blame for his father's accident and realizing that his life as a writer began the day Fred gave him a typewriter for his birthday. As the eight-episode series comes to a close, Barnum realizes the impact Fred has had on his life, and finds the long-awaited answer to the riddle of his half brother. MHz Worldview aired the U.S. premiere of this series on Monday, September 2, 2013 at 8pm ET, showing eight back-to-back episodes on consecutive Mondays through September 23. In the U.S., THE HALF BROTHER was broadcast in Norwegian with English subtitles.