Each week Inside Survivor contributor Rob Brodeur will be collecting various Survivor related statistics and information based off the latest episode of Survivor: Ghost Island.

Season

This is the fifth season to film in Fiji overall. It’s the fourth season in a row to film in Fiji. This season ties the record for a location most used in consecutive seasons. Philippines through Cagayan previously held the record, as Philippines, Caramoan, Blood vs. Water, and Cagayan were filmed consecutively in the Philippines. However, Philippines and Caramoan were filmed in the Camarines Sur province of the Philippines, while Blood vs. Water and Cagayan were filmed in the Cagayan province. Millennials vs. Gen X, Game Changers, Heroes vs Healers vs. Hustlers, and Ghost Island were all filmed in the Mamanuca Islands in Fiji.

Fiji is now the most used location for Survivor seasons of all-time. Fiji, Millennials vs. Gen X, Game Changers, Heroes vs. Healers vs. Hustlers, Ghost Island have all been filmed there. Nicaragua, Samoa, and Philippines used to hold the record with four seasons filmed in each.



Cast

The average age of this cast is 29.3. This is the youngest average age for a Survivor cast in history, beating out China which had an average age of 30.06.

Laurel Johnson was born on a leap day (Feb. 29th), so as 2018 isn’t a leap year, it’s possible she would have celebrated her birthday on the same day as the premiere episode. The Amazon premiered on Ryan Aiken’s birthday. Cagayan premiered on David Samson’s birthday. Worlds Apart premiered on Shirin Oskooi’s birthday.

Shirin and Laurel are the only ones who weren’t voted out during the premiere episode.

Michael Yerger (18) is the youngest Survivor castaway ever by birthdate (July 20th, 1998). The previous youngest castaway was Will Wahl from Millennials vs. Gen X , whose birthdate is August 12th, 1997.

Angela Perkins (42) is the oldest woman and oldest castaway this season, while Brendan Shapiro (41) is the oldest man this season.

Desiree Afuye (21) is the youngest female castaway this season.

According to his pre-game interviews, Bradley Kleihege was almost cast for Cagayan , his replacement ended up being Spencer Bledsoe.

, his replacement ended up being Spencer Bledsoe. Brendan Shapiro has been applying for Survivor on-and-off for nearly 17 years, and has been in the casting pool for previous seasons, including Marquesas, Millennials vs. Gen X and Heroes vs. Healers vs. Hustlers.

Laurel was in the casting pool for Millennials vs. Gen-X, according to Jeff Probst in The Hollywood Reporter.

Morgan Ricke was almost cast for Heroes vs. Healers vs. Hustlers, again, according to Probst in THR.

Stephanie Johnson has also been applying for around 16 years.

Jacob Derwin used to write for Inside Survivor!

Ghost Island

Jacob is the first person to ever be sent to Ghost Island. The item he found was Sierra’s Legacy Advantage from Game Changers , but it has a different power now in that he had to will it to someone on the other tribe. Morgan is the first person to receive the Legacy Advantage from someone who wasn’t voted out before it was willed. In Millennials vs. Gen X , Jessica Lewis was voted out and willed her Legacy to Ken. In Game Changers , Sierra was voted out and willed her Legacy to Sarah.

Donathan Hurley is the first person to go to Ghost Island and not get a chance to receive a “cursed relic”.

Tribal Council #1

Stephanie Gonzalez was voted out 8-1 She is the 23rd female to be first boot in a season. There have now been four female first boots in a row.

She’s the third Survivor contestant to be born in Puerto Rico. Jessie Camacho from Africa , and Edgardo Rivera from Fiji are the other two.

, and Edgardo Rivera from are the other two. Every person voted out first in a season filmed in Fiji was female. Fiji – Jessica DeBen. Millennials vs. Gen X – Rachel Ako. Game Changers – Ciera Eastin. Heroes vs. Healers vs. Hustlers – Katrina Radke. Ghost Island – Stephanie Gonzalez.

Malolo is the first 10 person tribe to only have 9 votes cast at their first tribal council (due to Jacob being on Ghost Island).

Tribal Council #2

Jacob was voted out 5-2-1. Both people voted out this episode were the sole vote for another person on the tribe. Gonzalez was the only person to vote for Donathan. Jacob was the only person to vote for Michael.

There was a voting triangle which happened in this episode. Jacob voted for Michael. Michael voted for James. James voted for Jacob.

In the four consecutive seasons filmed in Fiji, the second boot has alternated between a man and a woman. Millennials vs. Gen X – Mari Takahashi. Game Changers – Tony Vlachos. Heroes vs. Healers vs. Hustlers – Simone Nguyen. Ghost Island – Jacob Derwin. For the five seasons filmed in Fiji, the immunity challenge winners for the first two challenges has alternated each season. Fiji – Ravu lost the first two challenges. Millennials vs. Gen X – Takali lost the first challenge, and Vanua lost the second. Game Changers – Mana lost the first two challenges. Heroes vs. Healers vs. Hustlers – Levu lost the first challenge, and Yawa lost the second. Ghost Island – Malolo lost the first two challenges



Tribes

This is the first season since Samoa in which two tribes of brand new players were randomly divided. Heroes vs. Villains – 20 returning players. Nicaragua – 20 players divided by age. Redemption Island – 16 new players, 2 returning players. South Pacific – 16 new players, 2 returning players. One World – 18 new players divided by gender. Philippines – 15 new players, 3 returning players, 3 tribes. Caramoan – 10 new players, 10 returning players. Blood vs. Water – 10 new players (loved ones), 10 returning players. Cagayan – 18 new players, divided into brains/beauty/brawn. San Juan Del Sur – 9 pairs of loved ones, each person of the pair on a different tribe. Worlds Apart – 18 new players, divided into blue collar/white collar/no collar. Cambodia – 20 returning players. Kaoh Rong – 18 new players, divided into brains/beauty/brawn. Millennials vs. Gen X – 20 new players divided by age. Game Changers – 20 returning players. Heroes vs. Healers vs. Hustlers – 18 new players, divided into heroes/healers/hustlers.

in which two tribes of brand new players were randomly divided. This is the sixth two-tribe season to have a purple tribe vs. an orange tribe. The others are as follows: Thailand – Sook Jai (purple) Chuay Gahn (orange). Micronesia – Malakal (purple) Airai (orange). Redemption Island – Zapatera (purple) Ometepe (orange). Caramoan – Bikal (purple) Gota (orange). Millennials vs. Gen X – Takali (purple) Vanua (orange). Including merged tribes, this is the third season in Fiji to have a purple tribe and orange tribe. Fiji – Bula Bula (purple merged tribe) Ravu (orange).

Each season with a purple vs. orange tribe has had the winner alternate between an orange tribe and purple tribe. Thailand – Brian Heidik – Chuay Gahn (orange). Micronesia – Parvati Shallow – Malakal (purple). Redemption Island – Boston Rob – Ometepe (orange). Caramoan – John Cochran – Bikal (purple). Millennials vs. Gen X – Adam Klein – Vanua (orange).

All three seasons with “Island” in the title have had a purple and orange starting tribe. Panama: Exile Island – Casaya (purple), La Mina (orange). Redemption Island – Zapatera (purple) Ometepe (orange). Ghost Island – Naviti (purple) Malolo (orange).

The Malolo tribe and Naviti tribe were both named after volcanic islands in Fiji. Malolo is the 16th orange tribe in Survivor history. The average age of the Malolo tribe is 26.7. Naviti is the 12th purple tribe in Survivor history. The average age of the Naviti tribe is 29.4.



Confessionals

Jacob had the most confessionals with 14 total across both episodes (9 in episode one and 5 in episode two). Jacob also had the highest confessional count for a second boot in Survivor history. He had the same amount of confessionals as all of the women combined.

Libby, Chelsea, Angela, and Bradley had 0 confessionals in both episodes. Libby is the only Malolo member to not have a confessional.



Hidden Immunity Idol/Advantage

Domenick Abbate found a hidden immunity idol. This idol was Andrea Boehlke’s unused idol that she had in her possession when she was voted out in Caramoan .



Reward Challenge #1 – “Chief’s Choice”

The pre-challenge choosing of a leader and people to compete in the challenge based on first impressions was previously seen in Samoa. It just so happens that Samoa is the most recent season in which two tribes of new players were randomly divided at the start of a season. Both times this was done, the tribe that won the reward (Foa Foa, Malolo) went on to lose the first immunity challenge to a purple tribe (Galu, Naviti).

Malolo won this challenge when Naviti forfeited due to the timed nature of the reward challenge.

Immunity Challenge #1 – “Sled Zeppelin”

A similar challenge has previously been seen in Thailand and Redemption Island . All three seasons this challenge has been used featured purple and orange starting tribes. Each iteration has been a different type of challenge. Thailand – Individual Immunity. Redemption Island – Duel. Ghost Island – Tribal Immunity.

and .

Immunity Challenge #2 – “Coming Up for Air”

Variations of this challenge have previously been seen in Vanuatu, Micronesia, Philippines, Cagayan, Millennials vs. Gen X, and Heroes vs. Healers vs. Hustlers. In previous iterations, the season’s runner-up has always been on the tribe that won this challenge, so if the pattern were to continue, this season’s runner-up will come from the Naviti tribe.

and Every time a purple tribe has participated in this challenge, they have won. Malakal in Micronesia . Solana in Cagayan. Takali in Millennials vs. Gen X. Naviti in Ghost Island.



Ratings

The two-hour season premiere received 8.19 million viewers and 1.7/7 in the Adults 18-49 Rating/Share. This is higher than last year’s two-hour Game Changers premiere (7.64m – 1.7/6) but slightly lower than last fall’s Heroes vs. Healers vs. Hustlers premiere (8.33m – 1.8/7) – however, the HvHvH premiere was a single episode.

Episode Title

The episode title “Can You Reverse the Curse?” was said by Domenick after he found Andrea’s hidden immunity idol.

Written by