Really? I didn't remember S3 being like that. Isn't that the episode where Frank tripped balls on acid, got out his gun and shot someone? And where the inbred family took them hostage?
I'm not sure if all that happened in the same episode (I'll have to check out my shiny new season 3 dvd set) but those things did happen in season 3.
I thought s3 wasn't quite as good as s2, but only by a slim margin. Perhaps when I go through the s3 discs my tune may change.