Looking at the CBS schedule, it doesn’t seem like we’ll get a two-hour episode of Survivor Ghost Island until the finale airs later in May.
One of the biggest problems surrounding 20-player seasons of Survivor is that it’s hard to get a fair and balanced story for all 20 players throughout 39 days. Until the merge, there was no eliminated player that has as many confessionals as Jacob Derwin’s 14 from the premiere episode on, emphasizing how little we got to see of Brendan, Morgan, Gonzalez and James until they left Ghost Island.
Another problem comes in the traditional Survivor season’s runtime. There are usually 13-14 episodes a season excluding the reunion, yet there are only so many hours of television that CBS can dedicate their time slots to, especially when new series SEAL Team, which airs right after Survivor, is finishing out its first season.
What happens in 20-player seasons like Millennials vs. Gen X is that you have big premiere episodes, late two-hour episodes and a two-in-one elimination episode that skips a hearty chunk of camp-based play late in the game. It looks like Survivor Ghost Island may not even get a big two-hour, post-merge episode until the finale if the upcoming schedule holds true.
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On the CBS Entertainment press site, as of April 22, there are no two-hour episodes ahead up until May 9. With an expected season finale on May 23 (Game Changers ended on May 24 last year) and just 11 players left in the game, barring any medevacs and quits, we might be getting another two-for-one elimination episode on May 16, ending with a six-player finale on May 23.
Considering eight jury members have yet to be selected and the season ends in a month, Survivor Ghost Island is on a course to force too many eliminations and player stories into its final episodes. Libby was barely present this season unless she received votes; Jenna was teased a showmance story with Sea Bass that went nowhere; Sea Bass himself has been almost invisible since the merge; Chelsea is the queen of sitting.
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Somewhere, in the rush to include as many idols and advantages from Micronesia, the story of Survivor Ghost Island has been left to the wayside. Outside of Chris vs. Domenick (which has ended) and “Naviti Strong,” there are just a few prominent characters and a whole bunch of question marks. All that’s left is Jacob Derwin’s curse over Malolo; the “best tribe of all-time.”