I know this is completely off-canon but Palpatine in TROS was, to me, more like an extension of the original TESB Emperor with the monkey-eyes. This version didn’t feel like the Naboo Senator gone bad or even the hammy ROTJ guy to me. The idea of the Sith as this secret cult of gothic sorcerers really worked for me too, even if it doesn’t necessarily line up with what has gone before.
This is pretty true. Despite his decaying image we don’t have the typical cackling character. Much more the cool, calculated schemer. More of an ethereal demon. It’s a new register for McDiarmid but it feels in character.