NBC’s “Hannibal” returned for its second season Friday to a weak 1.1 rating in the key demo, but was up 38 percent over last season’s little-watched finale.

The 1.1 in the key 18-49 demographic tops the show’s final five episodes from last season and matches or beats its final nine telecasts from last season. It was the top rating for the show since the first season’s third telecast on April 18, 2013, which had a 1.4/4.

But a 1.1 is still low. Fortunately for “Hannibal,” networks hold shows to a lower standard on Fridays, which tend to be a viewer wasteland.