since he was already accustomed to using them whilst working on Ultimate Force. While discussing the shootout at the end of series seven, Armitage noted that he is "not a violent person but when you put a gun in somebody's hands [...] it's like a little animal comes out of you that wants to fire the gun again." In a flashback sequence in one of his early episodes, Lucas is subjected to waterboarding, a method of psychological torture. In order to ensure the authenticity of the sequence, Armitage was himself subjected to the actual torture while shooting. He agreed to perform the sequence after he was convinced by consultants for the FSB and CIA. Armitage was only subjected to it for a short time, and was filmed in slow motion to make it appear he was on for longer. The ambient temperature of the room was also raised to make him as comfortable as possible. However, after the sequence was shot, Armitage changed his opinion entirely, stating; "I only lasted five to ten seconds, and the sound of my voice crying out to stop isn't me acting." Armitage shot more interrogation scenes during production of the eighth series, but only some were added into the episodes. He was "less physical" in the ninth series. Reception The reaction towards the character and Armitage's portrayal were met with unanimous praise. In a viewer poll on their favourite character played by Armitage on RichardArmitageNet, Lucas North was voted third behind Sir Guy of Gisbourne, and winner John Thornton in North and South. Spooks producer Katie Swinden described Armitage's addition as "fantastic", as he "has that dark and brooding quality which make him perfect for the role." Co-star Hermione Norris thought Lucas was a "really fantastic character" and has brought "a completely different vibe and quality" to the series. John Beresford of TV Scoop thought the acting of the cast in the beginning of the seventh series, including Armitage's was "pitch perfect", and noted he "looks and sounds like he's been here all along, already, and having only seen him briefly in Robin Hood I've been quite astonished by how good he is in this." Sky TV described Lucas North's character as a "refreshing change" for the series. The Bromsgrove Advertiser noted that Armitage "certainly has the looks needed for the part" with "classic leading man presence," and while comparing past main actors of