Fringe returned from a four-week hiatus with a sterling new episode last night. But, well, not all fans of this Fox drama actually returned.

The series fell to just 2.88 million viewers overall, while dropping 25% in the key 18-49-year old demographic and hitting an all-time low in that department with a rating of .9. And these results come against a return of Grimm on NBC, no less.

Start spreading the word already for this Friday's episode, Fringe fans. It's previewed above and it's the next in eight consecutive new installments until the season finale.

ELSEWHERE:

• The final four games of the Sweet 16 on CBS led the night with 6.5 million total viewers. They watched Ohio nearly pull an overtime upset of UNC.
• Nikita gained a tenth of a point in the adult demographic, as 1.56 total viewers tuned in.
• Supernatural fell nearly 10 percent from the previous week with just 1.6 million viewers overall.
• Shark Tank (5.9 million) was actually the most-watched non-sports program of the evening.

Matt Richenthal is the Editor in Chief of TV Fanatic. Follow him on Twitter and on Google+.