Can we all agree that he was awesome? I can't imagine a better actor to play this character. He seriously made me despise Ramsay and wish painful death upon him. I'd love to see him play a bad guy again in a modern show or movie, there's something about him that says 'contemporary' to me, even though he was great in a medieval setting too.
shareWouldn't say that complex villains are that rare, if anything they're expected in premium shows. Just look at Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Breaking Bad, Justified, Hannibal, The Americans, Sons of Anarchy etc etc. it's become the standard.
I think his performance is notable for playing a sadist who was also very compelling. We enjoyed watching him continue to play his sick games because as an audience we knew that his inevitable demise would be so more enjoyable as a result.