"Boardwalk Empire" went out with a bang Sunday night — and not just with the shocking demise of Jimmy Darmody.
The season two finale of HBO's Steve Buscemi-led, Prohibition-era drama posted a season high for the series, drawing 3 million viewers with its initial airing at 9 p.m. and picking up an additional 834,000 viewers with its 11 p.m. encore for a total of 3.8 million.
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That marked a season high for the series, which averaged 2.7 million viewers this season for its 9 p.m. airings, and premiered in September with 2.9 million viewers (again, excluding encores).
The finale dipped slightly from last season's, which drew 3.3 million viewers for its 9 p.m. airing.
Sunday's "Boardwalk Empire" finale was followed at 10 by a preview of HBO's upcoming horse-racing drama "Luck," which averaged 1.1 million viewers. The series, which stars Dustin Hoffman and Nick Nolte, will receive its proper premiere Jan. 29.