Which Show Made a Killing? Which Got Killed?

Dexter season finale scores big ratings; The Apprentice's closer not so much

Did things end well for Dexter? Does anything ever go right for Life Unexpected? And, seriously, could anything be more Yuletide-y than Community's stop-motion animation episode? 

Here's what you need to know from the latest Nielsen rankings: 

• Dexter's fifth-season finale killed, with 2.5 million pay-cable viewers. The performance helped the series to its highest-rated season ever. 

• Life Unexpected formally lost its time slot (effective next month), but went out and hit a season high anyway (1.8 million). 

• Sorry, Virginia, the Rankin-Bass-channeling episode of Community (4.3 million) got outdrawn by the other broadcast-network holiday specials (A Charlie Brown Christmas, Shrek the Halls, etc.). 

• Glee's "A Very Glee Christmas" (11.1 million) was down a touch from "Special Education," but the show was still way up there: No. 1 among the demographically desirable.

• The Amazing Race ended its season in style (12.1 million); The Apprentice ended its season (4.1 million).

• Criminal Minds (14.2 million) was the most-watched broadcast series; Vampire Diaries (3.2 million) was the most-watched CW series.

• Poor Running Wilde (4.1 million); poorer Skating With the Stars (3.9 million) 

• The Closer returned—and went straight back to the top of the cable rankings (5.8 million). 

Here were the week's 10 most-watched (non-football) shows among 18- to 49-year-olds, per the just-released Nielsen Media Research broadcast rankings: 

1. Glee (5.8 million demo viewers; 11.1 million overall viewers)
2. Modern Family (5.5 million demo viewers; 11.1 million overall viewers)
3. Two and a Half Men (5.46 million demo viewers; 13.4 million overall viewers)
4. Family Guy (5.2 million demo viewers; 8 million overall viewers)
5. The Big Bang Theory (5.1 million demo viewers; 12 million overall viewers)
6. The Amazing Race (4.9 million demo viewers; 12.1 million overall viewers)
7. The Office (4.8 million demo viewers; 7.2 million overall viewers)
8. Desperate Housewives (4.7 million demo viewers; 11.6 million overall viewers)
9. Survivor: Nicaragua (4.7 million demo viewers; 12.3 million overall viewers)
10. How I Met Your Mother (4.694 million demo viewers; 9.3 million overall viewers)