I feel that the best solution to the age difference and power imbalances between Rose and Dimitri would be to age Dimitri down. I would imagine that the show will age Rose up to 18 anyway; they did the same thing to Clary in Shadowhunters. I think it's probably so that they could put Rose into more relationships/different romantic or intimate scenarios, or to explore the reputation she has at St. Vlad's, while she's technically a legal adult.
They might age Dimitri down as well so that there's less of a gap.
When I was young and reading the books, I thought their relationship, specifically the age gap, was really romantic, because most of the media and novels at the time included age gaps and teacher/student relationships. I didn't know any better. Now that I'm older, I'm wondering why so much content that targets young readers includes relationships with power imbalances like that. I love Rose and Dimitri, but the age difference and the power imbalances do make me uncomfortable now when I re-read the books. Even if he isn't directly her teacher, he is someone who is her mentor, someone she has to see every day and if she chooses not to, she could face real punishment.
I think a lot of people will be uncomfortable with this dynamic on tv, which is a good thing because for so many years there were a lot of inappropriate relationships being shoved down our throats and I feel like a lot of young people were told to idealize them because it was "romantic".
I think Dimitri being 19 or 20, with Rose at 18, would work well without having significant impact on the story (if they have to change the birthdays of the characters... I mean, who cares? It wouldn't impact the storyline). I also feel like a 19/20 year old Dimitri would really demonstrate just how messed up the VA world is. There's this person, maybe not a kid anymore but to any adult over 25... Still probably a kid. And he's being hailed as a hero, the best of the best, a fierce warrior, but... He's a 19 (or 20) year old. He's so young still, and he has the weight of the world on him because his essential life purpose is to die saving a "better" species. Like... BAM, the entire dynamic of Moroi and Dhampirs on display right there. Dhampirs are expected to do it, trained to, told their entire lives that their only job is to die saving Moroi lives, and the Morois just expect all of these people to fall in line and protect them, because some of them are Royal and they deserve to have protection?? When the Dhampirs don't, they are shamed by all of society, because they made the selfish decision to live for themselves...
He can still be a fierce warrior. He can still be one of the best. He can still be an 80s music listenin', duster wearing cowboy. He can still be the best of the Guardians, because the Dhampirs are facing a population crisis anyway. He can still be traumatized from the death of his friend, and still feel the weight of the world to be professional on his shoulders. Dimitri and Rose's relationship wouldn't change if they aged him down. He would still feel, for a bit, that she needs to grow up. All of the St. Vlad's seniors do. They all are so excited to join the real world and kill Strigoi, they don't know the trauma of it all, or how serious the risk is. He's been in their position but he's been in the world just long enough to know how messed up it all is, how dangerous, and how quickly you can lose someone. All of those dynamics are still there.
The only thing that changes is that the relationship would be more appropriate.
I love this book series. It isn't perfect, but that's okay. There are things I would change, and things that I would sob over if they were changed. I think the best way to get this show viewed, aside from actually following the book this time and not trying to make it 'Mean Girls meets Twilight meets for some reason every teen in St. Vlad's has no clue about anything for a lame joke?? Meets satire', is to change the ages of Dimitri and Rose to make it more appropriate. I think a lot of people will be upset, especially people who haven't yet read the books, to see a 24 year old man who is a teacher/mentor/trainer to a 17 year old girl end up having a romantic relationship with her. That's a fair thing to be upset about. He is 25 and Rose isn't even 18 yet in Shadow Kiss when they first get together (she turns 18 at the very end of the book, and idk but wiki said he's 25 in Frostbite so?)
All of this to say, Dimitri Belikov being aged down to 19 or 20 ultimately wouldn't have a negative effect on the storyline of the show, but it would help protect young people from continuing to idealize inappropriate relationships. I hope that this is the route the writers decide to take.
