The Red Tent (miniseries)

Plot

Set during the time of the Old Testament patriarchs in the Book of Genesis, the story follows Dinah, the only daughter of Leah and Jacob, as she recounts her life from youth to adulthood. She describes her relationships with her parents, aunts, and eleven older brothers, often focusing on the Red Tent where the women of her tribe—including Jacob's other wives Rachel, Bilhah, and Zilpah—gather during menstruation. Unbeknownst to their Israelite husbands, the women maintain old traditions of goddess-worship, a secret kept because men are forbidden from entering the Red Tent.

In the backstory, Jacob flees his brother Esau and arrives at his uncle Laban's settlement, falling in love with his cousin Rachel, who reciprocates, while her sister Leah also secretly loves him. Jacob offers to serve Laban in exchange for Rachel's hand, but Rachel, fearing the wedding night, switches places with Leah. Jacob and Leah share a passionate night, and the next morning Jacob feigns upset, informs Laban of the trick, and demands Rachel along with Bilhah and Zilpah as compensation.

Over the years, Leah, Bilhah, and Zilpah bear several sons, while Rachel remains childless until she gives birth to Joseph, Jacob's favorite. Dinah is born to Leah and is cherished as the only girl. Tension between Jacob and Laban peaks after Laban's abused wife commits suicide, prompting Jacob to take his family and livestock to establish a new settlement. They encounter Esau and the matriarch Rebekah, whom Dinah finds harsh toward lower-class people.

Rachel, a skilled midwife, takes Dinah as her apprentice. During a power struggle, Jacob bursts into the Red Tent and seizes and destroys the teraphim, the women's goddess figurines.

Reception

The Red Tent received mixed to positive reviews. On Rotten Tomatoes, it holds a 75% approval rating with an average rating of 7.1/10 based on 12 reviews, with the site's consensus stating that while its premise is not fully realized, it boasts an appealing lead and enough energy to suggest greater promise. Metacritic assigned a score of 57 out of 100 based on 12 critics, indicating mixed or average reviews. The Hollywood Reporter called it an engaging and well-cast story of female triumph and resilience, but criticized the exclusive casting of white actors in prominent positive roles while darker-skinned actors played more nefarious parts.

Mary McManara of the LA Times noted that parts of the miniseries wander close to parody, contrasting Will Tudor's blue-eyed Joseph with the Arabic swarthiness of his murderous brothers. Neil Genzlinger of The New York Times wrote that fans of the novel would revel in this relatively big-budget treatment, but others might find its pseudo-biblical, pseudo-feminist mix hard to take.