against the Goa'uld, however Wright ultimately decided it wasn't necessary. On July 21, 2009 "Children of the Gods - The Final Cut" was released as a standalone DVD. The release included Richard Dean Anderson's first ever DVD commentary, along with a 7-minute "Back to the Beginning" featurette detailing the changes made by Wright. The original cut of "Children of the Gods", along with the rest of season 1 was first made available to download in January 2008 on iTunes and Amazon Unbox. Reception Critical response Reaction to the pilot was mixed. Starburst praised the episode, writing "this is smart, witty and spectacular Sci-Fi, in which the cast find their feet instantly, and the FX crew create some stunning visuals". Writing for Science Fiction Weekly, Kathie Huddleston positively received the episode, writing "Stargate was a fun B movie. Stargate SG-1 looks to be a fun, blast-'em-up, B television series". Huddleston praised Wright and Glassner for remaining faithful to the original feature film, highlighting the action and special effects, although did call out the fact that Ra's people (the Goa'uld) could now speak English as being "A little harder to swallow". Discussing the cast, the reviewer commented that Richard Dean Anderson "doesn't waste time trying to do an imitation of Russell", whilst calling Michael Shank's portrayal of Dr. Daniel Jackson "fairly good take on Spader's original characterization". Huddleston felt that Amanda Tapping's Capt. Samantha Carter "seems a bit out of place as the writers try to create sexual tension between her and Anderson (not terribly successfully at this stage)". Brian Gray for UGO Networks called "Children of the Gods" "a pilot that is worthy of theatrical release, with as much action and bravado as any feature." Variety reviewer Tony Scott criticized that "superficial characters wander through their roles without stirring a modicum of conviction". He mocked that the wooden acting, "pedestrian writing, pulp-mag plotting, shopworn characters, hackneyed dialogue [...] and Mario Azzopardi's broad direction will all undoubtedly delight billions and billions". He predicted that the series is "essentially for young people", and that "if no one else, the kiddies are probably watching" but that it didn't stop the producers from "blatantly showcasing naked young women". Criticism of the full-frontal nudity was echoed by other outlets, with Scott Pierce for Deseret News asserting "it's the sort of scene we've seen in countless sci-fi shows before - and having the actress disrobe is nothing