In Wesson's defense, fellow contestants praised the former nurse from Knoxville, Tenn., on her victory.

"[Tina] really played the game," castaway Alicia Callaway said. "It wasn't winning seven or eight challenges to get this far. It was using her brain. She's a smart woman and I think she deserves it."

Wesson, 40, expressed complete shock at her win.

"This game did not turn out the way I anticipated," she said. "I did not anticipate getting this far. If you ask me did this game turn out the way I hoped, I didn't even in my wildest hopes think I could get this far. It's been a total surprise."

Some of the castaways showed very few signs of accomplishment or pride.

Debb Eaton, the first contestant voted off the show, said "this has not been easy," speaking of what she described as the harsh way hat the press has treated her since her banishment in early February.

Eaton was not alone in her hostility. A rift seemed to still exist between several of the 16 castaways, most notably between Kel Gleason and Jerri Manthey. They who openly admitted that they still "don't like" one another. Tension also still existed between Kimmi Kappenberg and Callaway.

"No matter where we could have been [filming the show], we'd still not have gotten along," Callaway said.

Ultimately, though, did Thursday’s finale topple the stellar ratings received last summer by the first installment?

Topple? No. Equal? No. Pale in comparison? Yes.

Last year's final episode brought in 52 million viewers, the second-highest rated program of 2000 (after the Super Bowl), which helped make Survivor the highest rated summer series in TV history. Thursday’s finale mustered an excellent showing with 36.5 million according to Nielsen Media Research - yet it failed to reach the pinnacle set by its predecessor.

CBS still won its battles Thursday, trouncing Friends’ lousy 15.4 million viewership. Also, the one-hour Survivor interview post-show overshadowed ER’s 21.6 million viewers with 28.6 million tuning in.

And it's not going away anytime soon. On Thursday night, CNN reported that producer Mark Burnett has already released guarded information regarding Survivor 3. Burnett said the next show will be set in Africa, most likely Kenya, and will debut in the fall. Burnett also said a deal has been struck with CBS for a fourth Survivor.

CBS spokespeople would not divulge any further information on the show, including its cast, but CBS.com has previously reported that the nationwide search for potential Survivors for the third installment has already been conducted, and the deadline to submit applications passed in mid-April.

CBS also may put together a celebrity edition of Survivor, CBS Television Chief Executive Les Moonves told Access Hollywood on Thursday. Ray Romano, of the CBS sitcom Everybody Loves Raymond, and Los Angeles Laker Kobe Bryant have expressed interest, Moonves said.

For more coverage on Survivor, visit our Outback area here.