condescension. Dr. Will was crowned the winner of the series in a five to two vote, with Will receiving the votes of Krista, Mike, Kent, Sheryl and Monica, as Nicole received votes from Autumn and Hardy. Episodes Voting history Notes Reception Ratings Big Brother 2 premiered on July 5, 2001 to a viewing audience of 8.2 million viewers. These numbers were significantly lower than the previous season's premiere, however, it was noted that ratings did increase in the second half-hour. The series was later the third most searched topic on the internet according to Lycos days following the premiere. The July 10 episode had a total of 8.3 million viewers, slightly higher than the premiere episode's ratings. The first eviction of the season, which featured both Sheryl's eviction and the expulsion of Justin, garnered 9.2 million viewers; the episode was the most watched in its time slot. Speaking on the topic of the ratings for the series, Les Moonves stated that he felt the series was "worthwhile" but "required diligence". The August 7 episode of the series had 8.9 million viewers, the second highest rated episode of the season at that point. The season finale garnered a total of 12.3 million viewers, making it the highest rated episode of the season; these numbers were noted as higher than the previous year's finale. In July, it was reported that an estimated 14,000 viewers had subscribed to view the life feeds. It was later reported by RealPlayer that over 25,000 subscriptions had been made to the feeds. Following the season finale, it was confirmed that 56,026 viewers paid for the full season of the live feeds, while 41,814 Gold Pass members viewed the feeds. CBS reported that the numbers "exceeded [their] expectations." Public reaction Unlike the first season, Big Brother 2 was well received by critics and fans. A CBS executive said that the revamped series was "compelling and interesting". Variety said of the season "The HouseGuests of 'BB2' are louder, bawdier and meaner than the comparatively tame folks of the first 'Big Brother'." On the online success of the series, RealPlayer stated "The popularity of the [program] is a testament to the power of the Internet as a new vehicle for television networks to deliver subscription programming to viewers." Shapiro later stated he wished he could edit what was shown on the live feeds, feeling that the feeds took from the