The long wait is almost over. Season 3 of the addictive British soap "Downton Abbey" returns to PBS Sunday night, and fans of the Crawley clan -- and their colorful staff -- are practically drooling in anticipation.

And with good reason. The series' third installment is just great.

The entire cast returns for the season and Shirley MacLaine is even tossed into the fray, playing the rich American mother of Lady Cora Elizabeth McGovern. Though she has a few good moments with Maggie Smith, who plays Lady Violet just as brilliantly as ever, MacLaine's much anticipated guest turn is a dull disappointment. (Don't expect too much and you might not be let down.)

I don't want to say anything too specific about the season for fear of giving away important plot points. But to speak in general terms, all the usual soap opera crises are present: romantic woes, money problems, untimely deaths (and murder trials, of course), sexual shenanigans, health scares and back-stabbing. Classing up the soap genre just a bit, "Downton" tosses in (as usual) a generous dose of class and gender struggles. It is 1920s England, after all.

There are also plenty of heartwarming storylines and a little more character development with some of the staff this season, including Mrs. Patmore, the grumpy Downton cook. If Mrs. Patmore, played by Lesley Nicol, doesn't emerge as a favorite this season, I worry for your cold heart. And speaking of cold hearts, a certain Downton baddie shows an unexpected side as the season progresses. That arc is one of the many delightful surprises of this latest run.

And sure, there are a few too-convenient plot devices here and there, and you'll see them coming from a mile away. But they are forgivable. Overall, the third season is a delight, and much better than the wildly inconsistent Season 2 (no amnesia!).

You will laugh, and you will cry. You will cry.

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The "Downton Abbey" two-hour premiere airs on Sunday night at 9 p.m. on UNC-TV.