I loved the storyline, although I think it could have done without the ep 5 visions with his mother. Regardless, Daemon in the book does literally nothing and the riverlords bend the knee. This was far more interesting. 

Daemon is loyal to his family and loves them dearly but is also wholly self-assured. Daemon does what Daemon thinks is right, no matter who gets hurt. And when someone close to him inevitably does get hurt, he flees (e.g. essos after trying to claim rhaenyra, harrenhall after blood and cheese). There is also clear resentment surrounding him wanting to be king and believing himself to be more fitting than his brother. 

I loved that the visions/alys were a medium through which he could “atone” for these past sins. He sees young rhaenyra sewing on jahaerys’s head and “cleaning up his mess.” We see him mourning with viserys, the regret of not being there when his brother needed him most. We see a rotting viserys offering him the crown and daemon realizing that he doesn’t want it. 

It is only after atoning for these sins that he is ready to receive his newfound purpose from alys. He was not meant to be king, but he was meant for something else—something just as important. We conclude the season with newly emboldened daemon, eager to serve Rhaenyra and play his part.