When Survivor episodes used to last one hour (or 40 minutes plus commercials), it was easier to argue there wasn't enough time for all players to get equal screen time. There are also more entertaining players who certainly deserve more airtime than others. Eagle-eyed fans who focus on the Edgic throughout the season make editors' jobs harder, as they need to balance a season equally, narrate a full-fledged story while simultaneously balancing several minor storylines, and not make the winner predictable.
It is also egregious that some players get a massive screen time advantage over others, regardless of their placements. (Russell Hantz in Samoa is the prime example of this.) Having said this, three people in Survivor 48 have been getting too much time on the air. I do not know any spoilers, so this list is entirely based on the edits they're getting and the number of confessionals they have until episode seven.
1. Eva Erickson
Eva has been a big character throughout the season thus far, especially as she's been raising autism awareness while playing the game. Eva began the game on the purple Lagi tribe, which never went to tribal council. When a tribe doesn't lose or attend tribal, it's usually a reason for editors to skip them on the overall storytelling. Even though Lagi continuously won and some in her tribe never got a confessional, Eva was still highlighted during the early episodes, indicating her longevity in the game.
Eva's relationship with fellow Lagi member Joe Hunter has also taken a lot of space within the context of the season, especially as both displayed an immensely emotional moment during episode 5 after Eva experienced an episode, and Joe helped her get through it. Aside from Eva's powerful and personal message regarding her autism, her confessionals have been extremely repetitive when it comes to only wanting to work with men, casting doubtful shadows on her fellow women tribemates, and considering getting to the end only with the "strongest" of players. Girl, we get it.
2. David Kinne
Thus far, David has gotten the Joe Anglim-esque "golden guy" edit, where his physical strength has been his main focal point throughout the season. Well, that and David's obsession with milk. Speaking of milk, David asked Mary Zheng what the Chinese word for milk was, and Mary responded with, "Niu Nai." Niu Nai ended up being the merged tribe name for Survivor 48.
Kudos to David for getting his way on this one. There hasn't been an episode without any David confessionals (kudos yet again). However, David's storyline has also been pretty unchanging, with the edit only focusing on David's ex-girlfriend dumping him for having no money, his love for milk, and his abs. Something new may come for David, but it's also getting old.
3. Mitch Guerra
Mitch is the third person who has gotten plenty of airtime from the beginning of the season. Like Eva, Mitch came into Survivor wanting to spread awareness, with Mitch focusing on how his speech impediment has impacted his life. Mitch even shared a moment with Survivor host Jeff Probst during episode 2, where Mitch fully explained how his stutter isn't a hindrance in his life, nor will it be in the game. Just like Eva and David, Mitch has 25 confessionals to his name so far, which places them, alongside Shauhin Davari, as the people with the most confessionals in the season, aside from Kyle Fraser, who has 31.
As Mitch is the only one who isn't on the "strong people alliance" out of this group, having this many confessionals is a feat in his game. However, once again, Mitch has been on a repetitive cycle of being at the bottom of the tribe, voting on the wrong side of the votes, and having no allies. While this still might be a sign of Mitch going deeper into the game, it's also a monotonous narrative.