Boy Songs & Badges

"I guess we could say we bear-ly escaped!"

- Ally to Austin

"Boy Songs & Badges" is the sixteenth episode in Season 2 of Austin & Ally. It premiered on June 8, 2013 at 9 PM EST. The episode was the eighteenth episode of season 2 to be filmed. This episode, on the night of its premiere, attracted 2.5 million viewers.

Overview
Ally is under a tight deadline to finish writing new songs for her demo reel, so Austin tries to write his own song instead of relying on Ally. Meanwhile, Trish becomes troop leader of JJ and Nelson's Pioneer Rangers Troop and Dez becomes an honorary member to get the merit badges he never received as a kid.

Episode Summary
When Trish books Austin an interview with Jett Deely on "Video Countdown Live", Austin automatically goes to Ally to think of a new song since he will be on "New Music Tuesday". However, Ally is busy; she has to write three new songs for her demo reel. This leaves Austin with no other choice but to write his new song by himself. However, after eight hours have gone by, Dez comes up and shares the Pioneer Ranger motto with Austin. This inspires Austin to write Call a Pioneer Ranger! However, the song ends up being quite atrocious, and so they try to back out of the interview by telling Jett that he will be volunteering at the camp-out. Jett, however, really wants to interview Austin; he brings the show to Austin and the rangers at the camp grounds. There, he decides to introduce the song as a song that he wrote, specifically for the kids. This works until Jett tells the watching nation that, after the break, Austin will perform his actual new song! Luckily, a bear comes to the rescue and releases them from the unbearable situation! Austin and Ally agree that it was a close call, and Ally proceeds to make cheesy bear-related jokes.

Meanwhile, Trish is forced to become the troop leader of JJ and Nelson's Pioneer Ranger Troop by her mom. Due to this, Dez asks her if he can become an honorary ranger--since he was kicked out for bathing in a bird bath before he could earn any badges--and Trish allows him to. Trish makes the rangers do her chores so that they can earn their badges--for example, they have to paint her nails for the Lifesaver badge. At the very end of the episode, Dez accomplish his wish and earns four merit badges!

Songs Featured

 * Can't Do It Without You (theme song)
 * Pioneer Rangers Songs (premiere)

Main Cast

 * Ross Lynch as Austin Moon
 * Laura Marano as Ally Dawson
 * Raini Rodriguez as Trish De La Rosa
 * Calum Worthy as Dez

Guest Cast

 * Cole Sand as Nelson
 * Russ Marchand as Jett Deely
 * Devan Leos as JJ De la Rosa

Trivia

 * This episode has a special air date- it is airing on a Saturday at 9 PM EST, instead of a Sunday at 8:30 PM EST.
 * Boy Songs refers to the fact that Austin needs to write a more boy-ish song instead of Ally's girly ones, and Badges refers to the merit badges Dez, Nelson, and JJ try to earn.
 * Ally's hair (as people have been saying) has gotten longer.
 * It is revealed that Dez has gone to this camp before.
 * Ally does bear Jokes in this episode.
 * JJ's voice seems to have gotten deeper.
 * This is JJ's first appearance in Season 2 and second appearance in the series.
 * Ally has gotten better at lying, which worries her.
 * Ally has gotten better at being 'bad', as Trish had stated, which worries her.
 * Austin & Dez seemed to have not known what brunch is, since they called the combination of breakfast and lunch "blunch."
 * It's revealed that Dez doesn't know the alphabet, because he sang a portion of it and got the wrong order of the letters.
 * Dez reveals he has gone to this camp before therefore making this the second time it is revealed someone went to a camp, the first one being Campers & Complications.
 * It is revealed that a bear will appear in this episode.
 * Trish books Austin to have his new song on New Music Tuesday.
 * This is Jett Deely's second appearance on the show; his first was in Girlfriends & Girl Friends.
 * Ally uses her knowledge of bears at the camp.
 * This episode, so far, has the lowest amount of viewers for both Season 2 and the entire show.
 * This is the 3rd episode not to air on a Sunday . (The other episode not to air on a Sunday is Big Dreams & Big Apples and Tunes & Trials).

Goofs

 * Nelson knocked over the tent but he never puts it back up. But somehow it was back up.
 * Dez told Jett that he had spent all night learning to to untie the impossible knot but that couldn't be possible because he was up all night with Austin writing a new song.
 * Nelson came in for the Pioneer Rangers' meeting thinking that it was the "pie eating rangers" but he had the Pioneer Rangers' uniform on.