Lucas also believed he deserved being tortured, as penance for bombing the British Embassy in Dakar. Lucas is an admirer of English poet and painter William Blake; Elizabeta reveals that Lucas' admiration of Blake is based on their common distrust of systems. Lucas decorates his flat with some of Blake's paintings, and has a chest tattoo resembling The Ancient of Days, one of Blake's watercolour paintings. Though no longer married to Elizabeta, he maintains strong feelings towards her throughout the first half of series seven. The eighth series sees the return of Oleg Darshavin, one of Lucas's former interrogators during his imprisonment. During his interrogations, Lucas had developed Stockholm syndrome, and his interrogator had managed to deconstruct him almost to the point of being turned and wanting to die. Lucas also becomes involved with CIA liaison officer Sarah Caufield. The initial power struggle between them ends up in a "torrid love affair," which is monitored by the team. When Ruth Evershed (Nicola Walker) returns in the series, Lucas "really takes control of her position", in a similar manner to Harry and Ros's actions during Lucas's return. Armitage described Lucas's friendship with Ros as a "good combo"; while Lucas likes to play the "maverick" with "all guns blazing" Ros would "slip around the back and silently slit a throat." Following Ros's death in the series eight finale, Lucas "sees the team's been slightly shattered by it" and responds by "trying to pull the team together and aiming to be a strong figure for Harry." The ninth series reveals a dark secret in Lucas's past. Armitage said that Lucas "isn't quite who you think he is." It sees the introduction of a character named Maya, played by Laila Rouass, who is Lucas's old flame and possible first love; she is involved in Lucas's secret. Lucas states that Maya means more to him than his job and reputation. Vaughn would use Maya as a way of controlling him. Armitage also revealed Lucas goes off the radar "quite a lot this series" and behaves "quite strangely." Conceptual history Creation and casting The character of Lucas North and his background was first revealed in March 2008, shortly after filming the seventh series began. The producers wanted to create a new character to be a part of the team. They came up with a "new heroic figure" that they wanted to "put as much distance between