Rockers & Writers

"You're a songwriter with stage fright, I'm a singer who loves being on stage! We're a perfect match!"

- Austin describing him and Ally

"Rockers & Writers" is the pilot episode in Season 1 of Austin & Ally. It was first aired on December 2, 2011, as a sneak preview, after the premiere of the Disney Channel Original Movie, Good Luck Charlie, It's Christmas! The series officially premiered two days later on December 4th, 2011 with "Kangaroos & Chaos". This episode currently holds the title for the most viewed episode in Austin & Ally history to date with 5.7 million viewers.

Overview
Unbeknownst to Ally, Austin and Dez "accidentally borrow" one of her songs, record it, create a video, and post it on the Internet; after which the song and Austin, become an overnight Internet sensation. When Trish convinces Ally to tell the world she wrote the song, Ally confronts Austin but he refuses to give her credit. However, when Austin is asked to perform another original song on the Helen Show the next day, Austin pleads with her to write another hit song for him and not create any fuss. At first she refuses but, after hearing about his dream in music, she agrees to work with Austin and the others as a team for the career of Austin Moon.

Episode Summary
The episode starts off at Sonic Boom, a music store ran by Lester Dawson, and his daughter Ally. Ally's friend, Trish, comes in and announces she got a job at the local cupcake store, and offers Ally a cupcake. Ally knows she shouldn't eat in the store but takes it anyway. She starts to eat it when Trish tells her the store gives the employees all the rejects and the one she gave Ally was the one she had dropped on the floor. Ally spits it out of her mouth and thinking she is still talking to her friend, accidentally asks an old lady on a date to the movies. Trish has to get back to work, while Lester arrives saying he found thirty-seven cents by stealing people's coins from the wish fountain. Ally pleads with her father to put a piano in her room for practice, but Lester says no and tells Ally she has a one in a billion chance of making it in the music biz. Austin enters the store playing the drums with corn dogs and Dez right behind directing a music video which interrupts and annoys Ally as they aren't allowed to play with any of the store's instruments. Austin impresses Ally by showing her he's talented, but Dez is a disaster when it comes to playing musical instruments.

Ally is in her music room playing a rough cut of a song called "Double Take." Austin interrupts her, and suggests she speeds it up. Ally throws him out for being annoying and not reading signs carefully (as Ally has a sign on her door saying "Keep Out"). Trish comes in the store the next day singing a song, which turns out to be Ally's song, "Double Take." Ally asks where she heard the song, and it turns out that Austin borrowed the song and made  himself a music video that made him an overnight sensation. Ally is furious and goes to Austin's house to confront him. When she arrives, Austin is working out and creating Austin merchandise with Dez. Austin reveals all he hasn't written a song before and when he does, they're terrible. He doesn't want Ally to have credit, as it will put shame on his new found reputation. Ally leaves in a huff. Two days later, Austin is set to appear on The Helen Show that evening, and Trish wants Ally to confront and expose him as a fraud on live television. Ally doesn't want to as she has stage fright, but Trish finally convinces her. Trish and Ally manage to sneak their way past the security guard, but they enter another sound stage by mistake that turns out to be a news room and the security guard hears them yelling about Austin and arrives to take them away. After performing the song on The Helen Show, Helen wants Austin to come back the next day and perform another song. Austin nervously agrees.

That night, Austin comes back and wants Ally to help him write a song. Ally kicks him out, but Austin says a heartfelt apology where he reveals the only reason he shot that video was to prove to his dad that he is wrong about the music business as having a bazillion to one shot of making it. Ally says that her dad said the same thing and agrees to help him. In her practice room, Ally tries to convince Austin that songwriting takes time and proceeds to read some lyrics from her book (Though they are all too depressing for Austin).

Austin tries to make her have fun so she can get to writing by having the group dance. They then spend all night trying to write the song which they complete by morning. Austin would like Ally to appear on the taping of The Helen Show and they rush to the studio. However, the pianist gets sick and Ally has to fill in. Ally tells Austin about her stage fright and they argue for a bit until Austin comes up with an idea by covering part of the stage so Ally can play her piano. In actuality, this was all a part of Austin's plan to help Ally overcome her stage fright, but it ends up in disaster when Ally tries to hide herself and ends up destroying the entire set.

When Ally returns to work on Monday, she finds Austin has redecorated her practice room and put new things in it. Ally agrees to be Austin's permanent songwriter. Austin finds out his video has been bumped to number two, so Ally asks what number one is, and finds out it is her embarrassing moment on The Helen Show. She gets revenge by spraying him with a foam sprayer, then Dez jumps in because he wants to get sprayed too.

Songs Featured

 * Double Take (premiere)
 * Break Down The Walls (premiere)
 * Song Song (premiere)
 * Can't Do It Without You (theme song; premiere)

Main Cast

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

Recurring Cast

 * Andy Milder as Lester Dawson

Guest Cast

 * Mim Drew as Helen
 * Cocoa Brown as Security Guard
 * Beverly Polcyn as Old Lady
 * Jarret Wright as Male Newscaster
 * Claudia DiFolcoas "Entertain Me Tonight" Host
 * Christelle Harris as Female Newscaster
 * Adrian Elizondo as Helen Show announcer (voice)

Trivia

 * The Helen Show is a parody of The Ellen Show.
 * Entertain Me Tonight is a parody of Entertainment Tonight.
 * This episode is counted as a series preview.
 * This episode aired directly after the Good Luck Charlie, It's Christmas! movie.
 * This is the first episode to feature two new songs. (Double Take and Break Down The Walls).
 * This is the first episode of the series.
 * The episode of Crybabies & Cologne was a remake of this episode.
 * This is the first out of two episode to air on a Friday.
 * Trish gets five jobs in this episode. She gets a job at Cupcake City, the Magic Store, The Pet Store, The Mug Store, and as Austin's Manager.
 * This episode is the only episode in the whole series, including the crossover event and episode Campers & Complications to be viewed by over 5 million viewers.
 * The episode title refers to Austin and Ally's clashing roles, Austin as a rockstar, and Ally as a songwriter.
 * The song  "Double Take" and "Break Down The Walls" were featured in UK's Best Austin & Ally Song Countdown (by Laura herself), named "Austin & Ally: A Billion Hits", as both considered one of the top 5.
 * This episode aired in the UK on April 2012.
 * This is the first time the audience is able to see the crew.
 * A section of this episode was featured in the A Billion Hits music video.
 * When Austin was playing the drums the song is close to the The Simpsons theme song.
 * This is the first time that Austin uses one of Ally's songs without telling her.
 * This is the first time Austin & Ally viewers have heard Ally sing.
 * Of all the episodes in Season 1, this episode has the greatest amount of new songs in one episode.
 * Ally says no eating in the store which is a recurring scene in the show where she tells a coustomer not to break a store rule. This scene is mostly seen in Season 1.

Goofs

 * In the beginning of the episode, Austin said he needed instruments for his music video, but he already had several different instruments in his room when Ally came over to his house.
 * When Austin and Dez show Ally and Trish the Austin peanut butter, Austin said "Chunky", but the wrapper said "Crunchy." Dez said "Smooth", but the wrapper said "Creamy."
 * In the beginning of the episode, when Ally puts her hand on the edge of her book after denying Austin instruments, the old lady's dentures come rolling past the book, but Ally's hand is no longer on the edge. When the camera pans out, Ally's hand is still on the edge, just as if she didn't move it.
 * When Trish tells Ally about her new job at the Magic Store, Ally sets her book down where she was thinking of more lyrics for an unknown song. Trish shows off her bomb trick, but you can't see Ally's book where you saw her put it down at. Ally asks Trish about her job at Cupcake City, though it turns out she moved her book, but we didn't see her move it when Trish shows off her bomb trick.
 * After Austin "funs Ally up", her and Austin walk to the piano. You hear Ally say, "Let's write a song", but do not see her say it.
 * Even though Ally wiped her mouth with a napkin, frosting was still on her lips.
 * When Austin was naming the instruments that he could play, when he said the harp, he gestured to off screen when the harp was actually behind the staircase.
 * Austin said he needed instruments but he had some for his music video.
 * It's very unlikely that a parent would let thier daughter stay up all night with a boy they she just met by themselves. The same goes for Mike and Mimi.

Transcript
To view the Rockers & Writers transcript, click here.