United States of Tara Season 3 now Showtime Review

We have to admit that we broke our own rule about not watching a series more than a couple episodes in front of the viewer for Season 3 of Showtime's "United States of Tara." But, Season 3 is just that addictive.

It has a new energy about it and the pace feels different. It's like the team discovered a new well of fascination for the characters and we the viewers are the lucky recipients of that discovery.

We have so many reasons we think you should point your television at "Tara," but we'll limit ourselves to the following three questions answered in honor of Season 3's premiere:

It's widely publicized that Tara (Toni Collette) returns to college to finish off her last semester of school. That opens the door for way more opportunities for the alters to play and other issues from her college life with surface. As a result, she takes on a whole new tactic for dealing with the other personalities and we see a whole new side of them as they protect her from her newest threat...

The actor and comedian takes off the heels and plays Tara's new pysch professor who doesn't believe her condition is real. That's a new take for the series as Tara has basically surrounded herself with people who have catered to her "shifting moods." He's excellent in the role and though he's labeled as a guest star, he's pivotal to the season's plot.

There are a lot of changes after Season 2, which had Tara's family taking on some major life explorations. In Season 3, they've traded in one exploration for another, which in many cases involves what they want to be when they "grow up" - and we're not just talking the kids.

Dad, Max (John Corbett), faces challenges to his landscaping business and finds himself needing to define himself outside of work. After playing a video vixen who sat on cakes last season, daughter Kate (Brie Larson) finally lands (or soars) in a career that will help her see the world in a whole different way. Son Marshall (Keir Gilchrist) is pretty much gay in spades this season and finds some clarity about his relationships in his passion for filmmaking. And Tara's sister, Charmaine (Rosemarie DeWitt), faces impending motherhood post-botched wedding as she deals with a life she never envisioned for herself.