The moment we met Brooke Davis (played by Sophia Bush) in the second episode of One Tree Hill, I knew I'd love her. I didn't realize, however, that she'd become one of my favorite TV show characters of all time. The CW series, which ran from 2003-2012, turns 21 on September 23, and it's widely regarded as one of the best teen dramas. In addition to centering relationships, the angst of coming of age, and Carolina Basketball, One Tree Hill stands apart because of how poetic its story is. Haley, Lucas, Peyton, Brooke, and Nathan all wrestle with growing up in a relatable and emotional way. And Brooke far and above becomes the best part of the show as she evolves from stereotypical mean girl to fashion designer to mom and business owner.
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She's complicated, sassy, and, unlike a lot of other female characters, far from one-dimensional. At the beginning of the series she intentionally makes questionable decisions — like lying about being pregnant with Lucas' baby in season 1 or making fun of the fact Peyton had two dead moms by season 3 (I still can't believe this, TBH). But as Brooke matures, she finds she finds strength in her vulnerability. And before she helped land her attacker Xavier in prison, became a mother, and reopened Karen's Café, a single moment solidifies Brooke as THE One Tree Hill character for me: the photo project.
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In season 4, episode 13, "Pictures of You," the students at Tree Hill High are paired up for a photo project to help them get to know each another better. Brooke gets paired up with Chase (Stephen Colletti), and after admitting she lied about a test because she worried she wasn't good enough for him, Brooke reveals just how inadequate she feels. This is such a shocking conversation to watch as a viewer because at first glance, Brooke has it all: she's popular, she's wealthy, and she's gorgeous. But knowing someone so seemingly invincible feels that way made me feel seen.
Chase ends up taking Brooke's yearbook photo with "not smart enough," "not talented enough," "not pretty enough," and other insecurities written across the projector. And even though these horrible thoughts literally cover Brooke's skin (which is exactly how my insecurities feel sometimes — obvious and visible), she looks into the camera with the tiniest smile.
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"That scene was so personal to me," Sophia Bush revealed to Buzzfeed. "That was something that I had opened up to our writers about in my own life. I remember when I read that script, I felt so ashamed. I felt so exposed reading it on the page. I remember feeling so embarrassed and being like, 'Oh my god, I was having a conversation about motivation for characters, and they're using it. I don't know if this is okay.' It was my first lesson that if you can be courageous enough to open the thing that you're most afraid of, people won't back away from you; they'll lean toward you and say, 'Wow, you, too?' To create that for our audience and to begin to learn that for myself as a young woman was really a profound experience. That was a big one."
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This moment solidifies Brooke as a character we all love simply because it's so relatable. And seeing how Brooke reclaims her worth based on the fact that she's enough on her own, that her value doesn't depend on how much she has to offer, makes me feel more empowered every time I watch it.
"People are gonna label you," Chase says in a voiceover of the scene. "It's how you overcome those labels, that's what matters." And I think that's what One Tree Hill — and Brooke Davis — is all about.
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Great news for One Tree Hill fans: Sophia Bush (and Brooke Davis) are returning to our screens! Read up on The Latest One Tree Hill Sequel News to find out more.
Lead image via Warner Bros. Television/The CW
