Steve Buscemi, from the TV drama ''Boardwalk Empire,'' arrives at the 17th annual Screen Actors Guild Awards in Los Angeles, California
Steve Buscemi, from the TV drama ''Boardwalk Empire,'' arrives at the 17th annual Screen Actors Guild Awards in Los Angeles, California, January 30, 2011. Reuters

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.

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 January 29.