Ep 2. The Skiplantic Ocean

The Skiplantic Ocean is the second episode of the first season of the American political sitcom 1600 Penn. This episode was directed by Jason Winer and written by co-creator Josh Gad. The episode was first aired on January 10, 2013, on NBC.

The episode begins with President Dale Gilchrist's (Bill Pullman) two youngest children, Xander (Benjamin Stockham) and Marigold (Amara Miller), getting ready for a school trip to a simulated space shuttle. Emily Nash Gilchrist (Jenna Elfman), the First Lady, is reluctant to let the children go on the trip because her own mother died in a space shuttle accident. Despite her protests, President Gilchrist insists that the children go on the trip because it will be educational.

Meanwhile, Skip Gilchrist (Josh Gad), the president's eldest son, is trying to impress his father by organizing a summit between two rival countries. Skip believes that if he is able to broker a peace deal between the two countries, his father will take him seriously and involve him in the decision-making process.

However, Skip's plans are derailed when his father's chief of staff, Marshall Malloy (Andre Holland), informs him that the president will be attending a charity event instead of the summit. Skip decides to go ahead with the summit without his father's approval and enlists the help of Becca (Martha MacIsaac), the White House press secretary, to keep his father in the dark.

Meanwhile, the First Lady accompanies her children on their school trip. She and her daughter Marigold end up getting lost on the way to the shuttle simulation and end up on a yacht owned by a flamboyant billionaire named Malcolm Fitzwilliam (Gael Garcia Bernal). While on the yacht, the First Lady learns to conquer her fear of space shuttles and gains a new appreciation for her husband's job.

Back at the White House, Skip's summit is not going according to plan. The two countries involved in the summit are at each other's throats and are on the brink of war. To make matters worse, Skip's girlfriend, Chloe (Amber Tamblyn), shows up unexpectedly and tries to convince him to go to her art show instead of dealing with the summit.

In the end, Skip is able to salvage the summit and broker a peace deal between the two countries. His father is impressed with his son's actions but warns him that he needs to have better judgment in the future. The episode ends with the First Lady and her children returning to the White House, with the First Lady telling her husband that she's proud of him.

Overall, The Skiplantic Ocean is a fun, lighthearted episode that showcases the dysfunctional yet lovable Gilchrist family. The episode also touches on the theme of finding one's purpose and highlights the pressures that come with being in a position of power.