It's tough to believe that the American version of Big Brother has been running for 23 seasons already. Every season has its ups and downs and memorable moments. This often includes the nail-biting finale that features the crowning of the winner. But there's also the final competition and eviction that confirms who will be going head-to-head along with the discussion among jury members, question and answer period, and the reunion. It's always an action-packed episode.
Some finales, however, have been better than others. That's usually when the winner comes as a complete surprise, or, conversely, when a fan favorite player is named the winner. Of course, some finales include other, less expected twists and turns that excite viewers and make the finale extra memorable.
Season 13 (2011) – 6.8
This was the season when Rachel Reilly finally inched out a win after playing for the second season in a row. She beat Porsche Briggs while Jeff Schroeder was named America's Favorite Houseguest.
Rachel was one of six returning houseguests that season, and fans clearly wanted to tune in to see if the controversial player known for butting heads with many houseguests would actually win. She fought hard in the final three competitions, winning both the endurance competition (declaring that she could "stay up there all night" to fight) as well as winning over jury members, some of whom agreed that they changed their stance on her after realizing she did indeed play a good game.
Season 11 (2009) – 6.8
It was the season where Jordan proved that being an underdog and flying under the radar could indeed pay off, as she won against the more outspoken Natalie Martinez. In this season, Jeff's first, he was also voted America's Favorite Houseguest.
This was a season full of drama, including one houseguest getting ejected from the Big Brother game, Chima, for throwing her mic pack in the pool and refusing the follow rules. In the final episode, Natalie talked a big game, confident she would beat Jordan in the knowledge-based competition, but she lost. When Jeff arrived in the jury house, it became abundantly clear how badly everyone has turned on Natalie. The live audience also included three memorable Big Brother alums: Evel Dick Donato, Mike "Boogie" Malin, and Janelle Pierzina.
Season 3 (2002) – 6.9
It was after this season that the decision was made to sequester the jury members until the final vote. While many believed that Danielle Reyes deserved to win, because the jury saw all of the strategic ways she played the game and heard the things she said in the diary room before voting, they voted for Lisa Donahue instead, who ended up becoming the third winner of the series.
There was no America's Favorite Houseguest award back then. And all evicted houseguests voted on the winner, after having watched the episodes from home the entire time. That is precisely what made this episode so exciting: Everyone voted based on knowing all of the details in the game, which made for a lot of awkward moments.
Season 16 (2014) – 6.9
As the first season of the series to be broadcast in high definition, this was also one of the best seasons of the series. The finale saw some huge moments, including Cody Calafiore deciding to take his friend Derrick Levasseur with him to the final two, despite him having a better chance winning against third-place finisher Victoria Rafaeli. Derrick also finally revealed his true profession to the jury, that he was a police officer who had worked undercover before.
There were lots of pivotal moments to discuss, such as when Frankie's teammates abandoned him and he won a veto competition that was supposed to be played in pairs on his own. Donny Thompson was voted America's Favorite Houseguest.
Season 17 (2015) – 7.0
This season brought back a twin twist, one of many creative twists in Big Brother, with Liz and her sister Julia changing places back and forth in the diary room to see if any players would catch on. With a finale that lasted an hour and a half, there was a lot to unpack. James Huling, the practical joker in the house, won America's Favorite Houseguest and viewers got to relive some of his most hilarious hijinks.
Many viewers thought Vanessa Rousso had the win on lock. But out of nowhere, the quietly strategic Steve Moses pulled out two wins and made a shocking move when he eliminated her. The look on the jury members' faces when they saw her join as the final juror was priceless.
Season 14 (2012) – 7.2
Fans absolutely loved the concept of bringing back former favorite players to coach new ones in teams, only to actually allow the former players back into the game. Fan favorite Dan Gheesling, who was responsible for many of the most shocking moments in Big Brother history, was among them, and the finale put him head-to-head with Ian Terry, who was his protégé in the house.
In the end, Ian had the distinction of beating one of the best players of the game, which is a moment no Big Brother fan wanted to miss. Even though Dan lost, he seemed content to come in second to a young man whom he helped guide through the game. Frank Eudy, meanwhile, was named America's Favorite Houseguest.
Season 20 (2016) – 7.7
There was a lot of controversy this season, and while much of the finale was hijacked by Swaggy C's proposal to Bayleigh Dayton and a discussion of their showmance, it still remains one of the top-five rated finales.
Despite being a favorite to win, Tyler ended up losing to Kaycee Clark. This, however, marked an historic moment, as she became the second Asian American and third person of color on Big Brother to win as well as the second LGBT winner and first lesbian. Tyler did, however, manage to win America's Favorite Houseguest.
Season 2 (2001) – 7.8
It's not surprising that the second season of this reality series ranks as one of the best, as it's the one that saw the formation of the Chilltown alliance that has now become one of the most iconic alliances on Big Brother. Dr. Will Kirby emerged as winner and Nicole Schaffrich as runner up.
It was a pivotal finale to discuss all of the strategies Will and Mike "Boogie" employed in order to backstab and manipulate their way to the top. What made it particularly excited is that it was the first season to include a jury of former houseguests who voted for the winner (though it wasn't until season 4 that the jury members were sequestered before voting).
Season 22 (2020) – 7.8
One of the most recent seasons ranks in the top-three in ranking, and there's good reason why: once fan favorite Nicole Franzel had experienced a fall from grace throughout the season. It began with rumors that she might have had something to do with fan favorite characters Dan Gheesling and Derrick Lavasseur not appearing.
It escalated to anger at her treatment of autistic player Ian Terry. Naturally, fans were glued to their screens to see if she would win the final competition. When she didn't, and her friend Cody announced he was not taking her to the final, it pleased a lot of fans to watch Nicole dejectedly walk to the final jury seat and look on, visibly angry.
Season 7 (2006) – 8.2
The first All-Stars season, Mike "Boogie" Malin returned to emerge victorious, thanks to the help of his former teammate from season 2, Dr. Will Kirby, who helped Mike strategize and forge alliances towards a win.
Janelle Pierzina, one of the best players to have never won Big Brother, earned the America's Favorite Juror award, and Erika Landin was runner-up. Viewers selected players they wanted to see make up the cast, so it makes sense they were also extra invested in watching the final battle and voting. Hearing Mike defend his underhanded moves was a highlight, as it arguably helped jury members make their final decisions.
Season 4 (2003) – 8.3
Despite there being many seasons since, season 4 of Big Brother remains the highest-rated finale and the top must-watch season of all seasons of Big Brother. This season saw the first Asian American and person of color win in Jun Song. She beat Allison Irwin, who placed second.
Most interesting was that this was the first season jury members had to be sequestered, so after they had all placed their votes, they were able to watch the diary room sessions. And they were very revealing, showing both Jun and Allison calling themselves "evil b----es."