It takes quite a bit of fortitude to survive life on a deserted island following a plane crash while playing a pawn in a social experiment meant to gauge how a matriarchal society would shape itself. (Life just hits you in unexpected ways, doesn't it?) And while the castaways on The Wilds all clearly have what it takes, each character was written to bring a different set of strengths to the... well, whatever makeshift surface on a deserted island resembles a table.

In the new highly addictive Amazon Prime drama, written by Daredevil's Sarah Streicher, each character leaves behind a complex life full of societal pressures and unreasonable expectations when they embark on what's supposed to be a female empowerment conference in Hawaii. (Cue: plane crash.) But it's those exact struggles that have made each of them into a perfect candidate for The Wilds' scrappy survivalism.

The cast agrees. We talked to the women of The Wilds about how the life lived by their characters has given each of them a special set of skills that served them in their quest for survival.

Leah

Broken-hearted Leah has no shortage of stamina — which comes in handy during diving, foraging, and exploring — but it’s her unwavering tenacity that really drives this woman (and drives the others mad). “Although it's her flaw, her ability to question [is her strength],” says Sarah Pidgeon, whose character arc opens and closes the first season. “She's the only one who's allowing herself to think about these really terrifying ideas and she takes a risk in voicing them. She takes risks in accusation. She doesn't go about it the right way, but I think her intuition is her greatest strength. It's not tuned up the way it needs to be, but I think that is ultimately what's going to help these girls survive — and get off — the island."