Despite being so deeply ingrained in the cultural discourse, #MeToo and #TimesUp are still in their early days as social movements. #TimesUp is less than a year old and, while Tarana Burke created it years ago, #MeToo didn’t become part of the everyday lexicon until the Harvey Weinstein stories hit in fall 2017. While they’ve already contributed to some tangible change in the real world — such as Bill Cosby’s guilty verdict, the record number of women elected to Congress, and the massive protests that broke out over Brett Kavanaugh’s Supreme Court nomination — in terms of changing actual stats, and the way women and marginalized people are treated from day to day, #MeToo and #TimesUp’s effect probably won’t be fully realized for at least a few years.

But, looking at the world from a pop culture perspective, their positive impact is undeniable. On the screen, 2018 was The Year of #MeToo and #TimesUp.

There have been film and TV stories about women, sexual harassment and assault, and power before, of course. But this past year there was a cavalcade of movies and series exploring the mistreatment women are subjected to, how one lives with trauma, and the pervasiveness of misogyny — not to mention the moment when a woman realizes she’s done putting up with all the bullshit.

“GLOW”: Beth Dubber/Netflix

Several television shows devoted entire episodes or arcs to their female characters’ experiences with sexual misconduct. In Season 2 of “GLOW,” actress/wrestler Ruth (Alison Brie) was propositioned by a network exec during a creepy, Weinstein-esque hotel room meeting. She walked out and learned later her show had been cancelled. The “Will & Grace” revival saw Grace (Debra Messing) telling her father that his friend had sexually assaulted her when she was a teenager. “Jessica Jones” continued to deftly explore issues such as rape, trauma, and consent in its second season. Jessica’s (Krysten Ritter) life after Kilgrave, her rapist, dominated Season 1. In the Marvel show’s sophomore outing, Jess’ foster sister, Trish (Rachael Taylor), confronted her former abuser and her stage mom mother for essentially pimping her out during her child star years.

Created by Marti Noxon, the dearly departed “Dietland” was in many ways #MeToo: The Series. Via protagonist Plum Kettle (Joy Nash), a fat woman who finds it impossible to love herself, “Dietland” investigated workplace harassment and sexism, rape culture, women’s anger, the beauty industry, and feminism in theory vs. practice. As Plum slowly starts to realize how fucked up things are for women — all women, but especially women who aren’t white, straight, or skinny — she becomes more in tune with her emotions (especially her rage), her sexuality, and her own worth as a person.

Plenty of films took on similar subject matter, too. Real-life women shared their stories of harassment and gender discrimination in documentaries “The Reckoning” and “Half the Picture.” In Jennifer Fox’s autobiographical drama “The Tale,” Laura Dern portrayed a 40-something woman reconciling her memories of a loving, if unconventional, relationship during her teens with a much darker reality: she was sexually abused by two adults as a pre-adolescent. “All About Nina,” from Eva Vives, is a portrait of a stand-up comedian (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) who uses her act to process the rape she survived as a kid — and how it’s influenced her life since. The most haunting scene of “Eighth Grade” saw middle school student Kayla (Elsie Fisher) accept a ride home from a high schooler, only for him to menacingly challenge her to take her shirt off during a warped game of Truth or Dare. When she declines, he treats her as if she’s done something wrong.

For as many stories as 2018 gave us about women being mistreated, it provided just as many centering on women reclaiming their power. In her groundbreaking comedy special, “Nanette,” Hannah Gadsby grappled with her assault, the trauma she’s experienced since, internalized misogyny and homophobia, and the nature of comedy of itself. People can argue all they like about whether “Nanette” should be considered comedy or a one-woman show, but one thing’s for sure: Gadsby used her moment to draw a line in the sand. The world is shitty enough for women without them making fun of (read: hating) themselves.

“Support the Girls”

Set in a Hooters-esque sports bar, “Support the Girls” declared Time’s Up on sexist nonsense. Regina Hall is amazing as manager Lisa, who knows she and her staff are exploited by the establishment. But that doesn’t dissuade her from tossing out customers who feel the need to grope or make a joke about a server’s body. “The Wife” stars Glenn Close as the supportive, but also fed up, spouse of a Nobel-winning author. She’s sacrificed a lot — too much — for her husband and the film builds up to her epiphany that she’s done standing in his shadow. “Superstore’s” Amy (America Ferrera) used her co-workers’ teasing her about a workplace hookup as an opportunity to explain the double standard society places on men and women regarding sex: men should be congratulated and women should be shamed. Unwilling to let this notion fly, Amy broke down the intricacies of sexual agency, consent, and pleasure to the staff in the Season 4 premiere.

Some narratives portrayed women in control as a matter of course — and called out those who obtained power by degrading their peers. For example, in “Harlots'” second season, Charlotte (Jessica Brown Findlay), a successful sex worker, owned up to her complicity in victimizing other women, as did her mother (Samantha Morton). They and several other harlots teamed up to take down Lydia Quigley (Lesley Manville), a feared madam who organizes young girls’ rape, enslavement, and murder as often as she powders her face.

Obviously, pop culture heeded the call of #MeToo and #TimesUp this year. (Although we do want to emphasize that not all films and shows about women are necessarily “#MeToo/#TimesUp stories.” It’s possible for there to be worthwhile, female-driven narratives that don’t depict or debate sexual misconduct.) Movies and TV storylines are contending with sexual harassment, gendered violence, and the overall treatment of women in unprecedented ways. However, the representation isn’t perfect: The fact is, we could think of dozens of white women characters with their own #MeToo or #TimesUp moments, but it was much more difficult to come up with titles revolving around women of color. As more of these narratives make it to the screen, hopefully they will spotlight more women and welcome more perspectives. After all, the point of #MeToo and #TimesUp is for women — and all survivors of harassment, abuse, or discrimination — to feel free to open up and to take back some power for themselves.

Let’s keep the momentum going in 2019.