LAST EDITED ON 05-22-08 AT 04:28 PM (EST)

Alex's performance in different seasons is hard to call, because so much depends on who's around her. (As has been said here before, most people go out due to factors beyond their control, also known as 'other people'.) You could argue that she would have destroyed Richard by realizing there was a game on and outstrategizing him: you could also argue that Jenna and Heidi would have targeted her as a very early victim just because she didn't fit into their clique. Rewriting to that degree for every cast is a headache waiting to happen.

Gardener on the Physical side -- would frequently get trounced by Ozzy. Grump #1 is your classic offensive line player: practically all his speed is short-term, he's not all that flexible (and gets killed by grid challenges plus anything else involving narrow spacing), and while he can show something over the surface of the water for quick bursts, he's no diver. Balance is a matter of keeping his mass centered... you get the idea. Ozzy's the stronger all-around threat: Tony's performances against Gardener are the illustration of focus versus general athletics. (This matchup could give Gardener the Aras position to Ozzy's Terry: 'You need someone who can beat him at something. Let me hang around, and eventually, if my challenge type comes up, I'll take him down.' Of course, meanwhile, he's hanging around...)

The full Society Islands PMS cast ratings, to me, look like this:

Michelle Kesel: 4-5-8 (Colleen, basically: a little less than average physical ability, just a normal idea of what might be going on around her, and a definite social threat if given time to develop as one -- which she didn't have.)

Trina Zolna: 4-6-7 (A few vague strengths in the physical department that still don't have her up to average, a little more insight, and a fair amount of social skill. Again, just about a classic first boot from a tribe: not enough to contribute for challenges, so gets to take the last walk early.)

Elmore Nolan: 3-7-3 (Not as smart as he thinks he is -- his knowledge is too highly focused. Just about worthless physically, without even a specialty area that he can pull out at the last minute, and with no real idea how the social game should work because he doesn't think he needs it. Like Tony, part of a subculture that exists just about all by itself -- but his involves a lot less interaction with those outside it.)

Frank Neeman: 5-8-7 (Strictly average physically, but has a near-uberfan's understanding of the game and keeps his personality working fast and light while checking for angles and anticipating twists. His loose style can irritate people (and did, here and there), but it can also keep him around over others with a little bit of work. A Cesternino type: might have outright won Micronesia by running rings around Joel.)

Denadi Raven: 4-6-7 (She isn't the worst possible player, but she doesn't have the full mental commitment to the game: 'never give up, never surrender' is a foreign concept to her. Can see it coming, but isn't necessarily able to do anything about it.)

Desmond Cooper: 4-3-4 (The series virgin who was not wined and dined down the defloweration trail. Didn't understand the game or the people in it. Came in with one set strategy -- get a shelter going, ride the benefits from that while sitting in the middle of a protective alliance -- and had no idea how to adjust his plan to anything else. Would have had virtually no chance of talking the jury into anything and less of figuring out what he had to say: Gardener's ideal F2 partner.)

Trooper Reagan: 9-7-8 (Gretchen with a gender switch and more physical ability: just about tied with Tony for the most talented overall athlete in the pool. Some talent in dealing with people (which was rising as the job tension wore off), decent with the game, and might have had a few plans of his own working beyond 'keep winning the necklace and pray': in a Turare-majority merge, might have happily flipped to Mary-Jane and Alex if he saw his own doom coming down the road. A Tom sort in his way -- but one who didn't get to advance.)

Angela Mistege: 7-7-7 (Believes herself to be 7-10-8, which is almost all you need to know about her. A classic overplanner who manages to leave out one or two crucial angles because she doesn't believe they have any chance to exist. Social rating is as high as it is because of her ability to manipulate on a small scale: had Tony and Robin both believing their respective promises. Didn't particularly care if she irritated a few people as long as she still had jury-majority at the end: that's three she can afford to piss off, especially if she thinks they deserve it...)

Tony Tirello: 9-4-6 (A definite athletic threat and competition in just about any possible physical-based challenge. More intelligent than his Mental rating, which just measures game performance: he has some understanding of the game, but got blitzed by Angela on the emotional scale and never considered the play aspect/impact. (The question of how he might have played on his own if he had to do so from the start is a vaguely interesting one.) Can be sulky in defeat or embarrassment, but he doesn't stay that way long or hold onto anger from losses: generally gets along with people. A classic 'can have insight at rare times, but generally doesn't know what to do with it' problem waiting to happen.)

Phillip Geegaw: 8-7-8 (Athletically, has a lot of raw strength with a fair amount of endurance -- and not much else, but he stands a chance to dominate anything based in sheer power. Understands the game and has a very good handle on the people around him: Phillip's main problem is that he generally wants to believe the best of others as individuals -- even while he sees and accepts the worst of them as players. Good at separating the game from the people in it: no small feat. Could be an S9 if he was willing to take his own blinders off, and gets perceived as the jury threat in the pool.)

Mary-Jane Learner: 6-7-7 (Can stay in most challenges: you could argue for a P7 if she had a little more stamina, but really has more body sculpting than actual muscle tone, because models who look too cut don't get a full range of work. Honestly does understand the game and is willing to take risks with her votes and alliances: she's the anti-Denise in that a chance was handed to her and she had the courage to take it. (Of course, it immediately backfired.) Gets forgiven very easily despite making moves that could offend people: that's the main factor bringing her S rating up, because that's no easy trick in this game. Very arguably relies too much on emotional bonds.)

Robin Breslin: 7-6-6 (More of a physical challenge threat than she got to show: just about always found herself overshadowed at the last minute (and really needs to work in her own weight class). Has a fair concept of the game, but is willing to talk herself into believing whatever sounds best for her along with having the overconfidence to think she can spot anything going wrong far in advance followed by wriggling her way out of it -- not a good combination. Can definitely irritate people and occasionally displays all the finesse of a blunt axe. (Pinning Robin's S rating may have been the hardest number in the sixteen: her personality should backfire on her more than it does -- but somehow...))

Gary Watson: 5-7-8 (In good shape for his age, but 'for his age' is the problem in the more physical challenges. Combines a strong mental grasp of the game with excellent people-reading abilities to the point where he's not only seen as the secondary jury threat, but other players have to make deliberate end runs around him to make sure he doesn't realize what's going on and do something to stop it. Pretty much needs someone to link up with him and tow for as long as possible, followed by either absolute dedication at the last stage or a lucky necklace win. Central S problem is that while he invokes the softer authority of a father figure, he still invokes it -- relegating someone else to the 'child' role.)

Thomas Gardener: 8-8-6 (Athletic abilities discussed above. Gardener knows what's going on about as well as anyone, and he can even read people with some skill. His S rating can be argued to be artificially lowered -- by his own design: the last thing Gardener needs is to be a social threat on top of everything else, which makes his grumbling and general irascability into a sort of protective camouflage. It's not in his best interests for anyone to like him too much in the early game -- not to the point of seeing him as a jury threat.)

Connie Lasting-Adams: 4-7-6 (Honestly not the worst overall physical player: it's just that by the time she hits the individual stage, the weaker links are gone. Intelligent enough to figure out when to move and had enough to keep a pairing under the table for a good distance: the word we may need here isn't 'cunning', but it's close. Not bad at reading social links and can at least try for emotional plays: her central problem for her M and S ratings is that she ultimately sees what she wants to see -- which isn't necessarily what's going on. Can be extremely nasty, but keeps her direct enemy pool small (although she tends to create a splash effect).)

Alex Cole: 7-9-4 (As previously described.)