FX’s “Rescue Me” ended its second season on a high note Tuesday, snaring its biggest audience since its 2004 premiere.
Tuesday’s season finale averaged 3.6 million viewers, earning the distinction as basic cable’s top-rated show that night in adults 18-49 – the demo, as TV fanatics know, most coveted by advertisers.
The firefighter drama, starring Denis Leary, averaged 2.8 million viewers for the season, which earned it a third-season renewal.
Viewership for season two was actually up 4 percent over “Rescue Me’s” inaugural season, with viewership among adults 18-49 down slightly year-to-year.
In the season finale, Tommy’s (Leary) wife left him – blaming him for the death of their son hit by a drunk driver, whom he ordered a hit on.
Meanwhile, Tommy’s chief had to place his wife in a home for Alzheimer’s patients, and his captain lost most of his life savings to a prostitute (who conned him out of $25,000).
FX will rerun Tuesday’s season-ender tonight at 11 and Sunday at 10 p.m.