“Dexter,” the unlikely drama from Showtime, dealing with the story of a serial killer trying to joggle his vigilantism with a family life and a job with the Miami police, was poised for greatness. The season 4 finale, arguably its best season to date, has just shattered all records for the network, with over 3 million viewers tuning in to see it, Broadcasting Cable informs.

The episode before that, “Hello, Dexter Morgan,” which aired last Sunday, seemed a clear indication that “Dexter” would end on a high note. Yet, the show still managed to surprise even the most die-hard fans and optimistic insiders, with 71 percent boost in ratings from episode 11 to episode 12, the last of this season. Aside from that, the ending itself was as such that all these fans will most likely return for season 5 as well, it is being said.

“The season four finale of Showtime’s ‘Dexter’ shattered records for the pay cable network Sunday, Dec. 13. The episode became the most-watched episode of an original series in network history, posting a 71% gain over the season three finale with 2.575 million viewers at 9 p.m., and 3.078 million viewers when the 11 p.m. replay is factored in. This is the first time a Showtime original series has attracted over 3 million in a single night,” BC says.

As it also happened the week before this Sunday, the success of “Dexter” also marked a boost in ratings for “Californication,” which also recorded a bump of 72 percent. “The finale of ‘Californication’ set a series mark of its own at 10 p.m., drawing 1.1 million viewers, a 72% bump over the season two finale,” Broadcasting Cable further informs. All in all, both shows have proven, yet again, to be sure winners for the network.

As for “Dexter,” because of the season 4 finale, fans have been left wondering about the possibilities the screenwriters will now be able to explore in the upcoming season. Many say that the ending was a much needed change, as well as a twist to be the match of all twists – but also a destroyer of expectations, just not in the way we thought. Keep an eye on this space for more details on this.