50 best television shows set across the United States
By Sundi Rose
Delaware: Steven Universe
The premise: It’s the coming-of-age story of Steven, who lives alongside the Crystal Gems, a magical group of aliens, sent to protect humankind. Steven is half-Crystal Gem who inherited his powers from his mother, the former leader of the Crystal Gems.
The setting: Steven Universe is set in the fictional town of Beach City, situated along the Delmarva Peninsula. The Crystal Gems live in a beachside temple, and the setting plays an important part of the show’s mythology. The ocean played an integral part of the founding of the made-up city, and most of what we understand about the history of the town has to do with the water.
The most Delaware thing about it: The fact that it’s set on the Delmarva Peninsula says a lot about what we should understand about the folks. This region of the Northeast is different from the surrounding cultures of Delaware and Maryland. It has more of an island mentality, and this adds to the mystery of the Crystal Gem people.