Veteran journalist Dan Rather believes it is now up to all citizens to preserve democracy. I believe that we are once again at an inflection point, he wrote. We now await to see whether the president-elects actions will match his words. Credit: Ben Gabbe/Getty Images We cannot simply slough off these worries with incantations that everything will work out. Anyone who considers himself or herself a true patriot cannot allow us to head down this dangerous path....

It’s the first single off their upcoming third LP,Walk Into A Storm, due Sept. 15. “He’s an incredible dancer!” says frontman Zach Williams of picking his good friend to star in the clip. “Look at him go!” “I’m sure that he was at the very first show,” Williams adds. “My kids call him Cowboy Marc whenever he comes to stay at our house.” “I think about time a lot,” he says of cut’s inspiration....

After all, it is the season that gave us Maks as Khal Drogo. We were moved to tears thanks to a Willy Wonka-themed Viennese Waltz. We bore witness to the strange bromance of Vanilla Ice and Rick Perry. Credit: Eric McCandless/ABC There was an engagement and a ballroom shower and an Urkel sighting. Oh, and Megatron danced on a gosh darned treadmill. So many things to be thankful for! Theres also lots of pro performances and musical acts....

You are not alone here, friend. Speaking of dream fulfillment: MAKS AND CHERYL ARE BACK, PEOPLE. Gleb and Allison are back, too. Credit: ABC In short: Were going to feel things, and were going to do it together. Enough chit-chat, lets dance. ): The great Hough drought is over. Not only is Julianne back as the fourth judge on the panel, but Derek has returned. The guy couldnt stay away, and were all the better for it....

So, yeah, its a good time. Lets run through the dances, which arenotin chronological order of assigned decade, becauseDWTSlikes to keep you guessing. Instead, theyre off to Lauries first prom. Credit: Eric McCandless /ABC She even gets a corsage. If only all proms looked like this one. And if only all prom dates did splits like Val. The duo dances a fun, bubbly quickstep. Most of the judges love the blend of lightness with Lauries inherent strength of movement....

There’s tricks, treats, and a ballroom dance-off! Welcome, boys and ghouls, to the annualDWTSnight of spooktacular dancing tricks and ballroom treats. Also, holiday-themed word play! Credit: Eric McCandless /ABC Nothing, I say! James will be dancing with Jenna, whos great, but the Queen needs to make a speedy recovery. Its a rough night to lose your partner, as our couples will be dancing in two rounds. Round two is Americas dance-off....

We were all missing Marky Mark afterthe Halloween festivities, and here he is. Oprah was right breadisawesome. Also, she once said something like Put your dreams out into the world and they will come true. Credit: ABC/Eric McCandless And by stepping, I mean dancing. With The Ballas (and the rest of theJersey Boys) singing in the background, anything is possible. Derek is certainly the most hopeful weve seen him in recent weeks....

Welcome to an evening of tears and trio dances! Were getting down to it, folks. But dont be too forlorn,Dancingbuddies. Credit: ABC/Eric McCandless Also, let us recap. He calls his wife Wonder Woman and judging from Terras hip action, he must be right. I mean, as wise philosophers have pointed out time and time again, hips dont lie. Shes fluid in her movement, has excellent shaping, and Bruno especially calls out her great underarm passes....

It’s time to get your freestyle on We made it to theDancing With the Starsfinals, team! I mean, you lived through a sexyGo, Diego, Go!dance. You deserve to celebrate a little bit. Credit: ABC/Eric McCandless But lets not dwell on the past. Instead, lets focus on the task at hand: The finals! As isDWTStradition, the finals are all about that freestyle. They are also about relentlessly nagging the pros to find out just how stressed they are....

A cute quickstep toBewitched? A sexy cha cha to a childrens cartoon? Maureen McCormick and Artem Chigvintsev Quickstep,The Brady BunchTheme Isnt Maureen the loveliest? Credit: Eric McCandless/ABC Girl just wants to dance. That man can cheese it up with the best of them! A few technical kinks to work out and shell be moving up that leaderboard in no time. Dont come at Brooke Davis, ya heard? The judges commend her for fighting through it, but could tell she was holding back....

Can Maks, Cheryl, and Derek have their own group routine every week? After two weeks of competition, season 23 has some fresh, just-from-the-oven results for ya. Those results are so hot, well have to let them cool down fortwo hours. Credit: Eric McCandless/ABC Okay, Laurie and Val are probably safe for a while, but still. YOU NEVER KNOW (except for right now with this one thing). One of the best parts of these recaps has always been hearing the pros during routines....

Google it and get back to me. Heres how it works: The 12 remaining couples have been paired up. Each pairing has to dance the same style of dance to different songs, back-to-back. Credit: Eric McCandless/ABC The judges will score each couple and the couple with the higher score gets immunity for the week. Its basicallyYou Got Served: Ballroom Edition. (Wait, has that been pitched yet? Get on it, people.)...

At the top of every results show, viewers are intensely asked: WHOSE JOURNEY WILL END? Seriously, its in all caps. Because of Americas Face-Off (you know, that pesky presidential debate), competition night was condensed. Credit: Eric McCandless/ABC To fit 12 dances in, the judges were basically given the shaft. Frankly, I missed those guys. Lets review: Both Babyface and Allisons and Jana and Glebs jives were a little shaky. The judges thought Babyface needed to be much sharper in his movements....