The titular character of Steven Universe is a young boy whose heritage stems from both the human race and a species of alien gem people rebelling against an intergalactic colonial state. Caught in the middle of this centuries-long conflict, Steven is forced to grow up very quickly over the course of the series. This leads him to take a very idiosyncratic approach to concepts like kindness, empathy, understanding, and self-actualization. Naturally, the program's in depth explorations of emotional intelligence have had a pronounced effect on its target audience of young people (and also Steven Universe's many adult fans).

Ryan is joined by Sylvan and Cheryl for a dialogue that traces Steven's character evolution over the course of the show's run. Discussion topics include Steven's gradual progression into a leadership position, the way the show tackles the importance of confronting negative emotions honestly, how Steven Universe approaches queer identity, and how Steven reflects millennial creators aging into a role where they can tell their own stories on a mass media platform.

Ryan also takes a few moments to compare Steven (a millennial interpretation of Gen Z) to Daria (a Gen X interpretation of millennials).   

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