Successes & Setbacks

"I've got a really good feeling about this! You're a Starr, Austin's a Moon: together you'll rule the galaxy!"

- Ally

"Successes & Setbacks" is the 8th episode in Season 1 of Austin & Ally. It aired on August 19th, 2012.

Overview
Austin gets signed to a big record deal. But when he practices all night, he strains his voice. Austin must make the decision get a procedure that will allow him to sing but his voice has the chance of sounding different as he sings or he could never sing again. Taking over the family mattress business is also an unwanted option.

Episode Summary
When Trish comes in and talks about her latest job, she spots Jimmy Starr and squeals in excitement, saying that Jimmy is one of the best in the business. Ally remarks that she teaches his son violin lessons, and Trish walks over to Jimmy to try to sound all cool. It fails, and Jimmy looks puzzled when Austin comes over and introduces himself. Jimmy has heard of Austin, and after Team Austin asks him to sign Austin on, he asks for a demo record before leaving.

The gang rehearses all night, trying to make the demo record absolutely perfect when Austin remarks that his voice is starting to hurt. Ally brushes that off, telling him to practice once more, and Austin complies when his voice is pushed too hard, thus straining his vocal cords. They try that part of the song again with the same results, and Trish suggests that maybe he just needs to sleep on it. He agrees, but the next morning bears the same results. So Ally, Trish, and Dez take him to the doctor where they meet up with Austin's parents, Mike and Mimi Moon. The doctor announces that Austin has vocal nodules, and to get rid of it, he has to go through surgery. He's faced with the big dilemma of either never performing again and giving up on his dreams or going through with the procedure with the slight chance of having a different singing voice than before. He chooses to go through with the surgery.

He has to rest his voice for 48 hours, and successfully does for a while before many events cause him to almost speak. He still doesn't; it's when he and Dez do their 'What up' handshake that he accidently speaks. They worry that his voice will be messed up, but due to Jimmy needing the demo earlier, they have no choice but to have Austin perform the song live for Jimmy despite not having rested his voice for the full time. He manages to hit the high note and performs without a glitch, thus winning Jimmy over and getting a record deal with Jimmy Starr.

Songs featured

 * Can't Do It Without You (theme song)
 * The Way That You Do
 * Break Down The Walls (Austin's daydream-small preview when he imagined himself singing like a dolphin and chipmunk)

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

 * Jill Benjamin as Mimi Moon.
 * Richard Whiten as Jimmy Starr.
 * Robert Picardo as Dr. Grant.
 * John Henson as Mike Moon.

Trivia

 * Austin's parents, Mike and Mimi Moon, were introduced in this episode.
 * This was the 17th episode shot, but was the 18th episode to air.
 * John Henson (who plays Mike Moon) is a co-host on Wipeout.
 * The actors who portray Mike and Mimi Moon are married in real life.
 * Mike and Mimi's names were not said at all, but were revealed in the end credits.
 * This is the first appearance of Jimmy Starr.
 * Before the plot was released, everyone thought the episode was about Austin's parents not letting him sing anymore.
 * Before the episode aired, everyone believed there was an Auslly cheek kiss.
 * Trish was hired at the Sausage Cart, and approached Jimmy Starr in her outfit, which consisted her looking like a giant hot dog.
 * This episode title refers to Jimmy Starr offering Austin a record deal, an obstacle of Austin that could affect his singing career, having his vocal chords strained, and the successful results in the end.
 * This episode was ranked (Number) #4 in Disney Channel Australia's "Fanpicked Austin & Ally Countdown".
 * This episode was the first episode where they were facing major problems.
 * This marks the first appearance of Austin's parents.