The gang is finally back together — at least for the time being! ‘Austin & Ally’ returns with season four on Jan. 18, and HollywoodLife.com has the exclusive first look at the new episode.

It looks like happy times for Austin, Ally and the gang, but those times may be short-lived! At the end of season three, Austin (Ross Lynch) chose his relationship with Ally (Laura Marano) over his career, Dez (Calum Worthy) headed to LA with Carrie, and Trish (Raini Rodriguez) began her own production company. But now, they’re all back and looking forward to the future.

‘Austin & Ally’ Season 4 Premiere

At Ally’s “triumphant homecoming gig,” the whole gang is back together — for now. However, Austin will quickly realize that it’s not forever, and so what’s next? Military school? That’s what the episode description teases.

In two photos from the premiere, exclusively on Hollywo0dLife.com, we see the gang hugging — and then Austin and Ally chatting. Could she be convincing him to stay? PLEASE!

What’s Next For Austin?

After he ended his career, we were left wondering what would happen next. So, what’s Ross hoping will happen to his character? Well, he’s just hoping anything that has shock value.

“My favorite is when a script surprises me, so I will be looking forward to the unexpected,” Ross told HollywoodLife.com exclusively. As for Ally, well Laura wants her to keep touring.

“I only have one wish really: that Ally gets to meet Paul McCartney because that means I get to meet Paul McCartney, which would literally be the greatest moment of my life,” she said. Raini also chimed in — “I would love for [Trish] to be a hibachi chef or a mall security guard. I would also love for Trish to sing more and manage more.”

Well, we can hope for all of that, too! Tune in to Austin & Ally‘s season four premiere on Sunday, January 18 at 8PM ET on Disney Channel!

— Emily Longeretta
Follow @EmilyLongeretta