Episode 3 of “Grimm” seems to be only loosely based on the fairy tale of the Queen Bee. Fortunately, this results in a strong episode that deepens many of the central mysteries of the show.

The first scene opens with a flash mob on a train, ending with a dead female lawyer. Nick (David Giuntoli) and Hank (Russell Hornsby) are called in to investigate, and they find she was injected with a massive amount of bee venom.

Nick narrows it down to several suspects after he is able to view their true form. He and Hank trail the two suspects to the Primrose Paper Mill, where they are meeting a woman. However, before the two cops can identify the woman, they are attacked by a swarm of bees.

That evening, Nick sneaks out to his Aunt Marie’s trailer to do some research. He learns that the two suspects are Mellifers, or bee creatures. In passing, he sees a picture of the woman who tried to assassinate Marie and learns that she is a Hexenbeast.

Nick then calls up Eddie (Silas Weir Mitchell) and persuades him to meet him at the paper mill so he can track the woman that the two Mellifers met with. They learn that her name is Melissa Wincroft (Nana Visitor), who is also, as it turns out, a Mellifer, and had been involved in a lawsuit with the victim. The beehives they find in Wincroft’s house match the bee venom found in the victim, and after the second lawyer from the case is found dead, Nick realizes there was also a third lawyer.

As it turns out, the third lawyer is Adalind Schade (Claire Coffee), the very Hexenbeast that tried to kill Marie. Captain Renard (Sasha Roiz) puts Nick and Hank in charge of protecting Adalind. Nick immediately recognizes her, but he cannot tell anybody.

Nick eventually finds Melissa Wincroft, who claims that she is on his side, and she was killing the Hexenbeasts to protect him. As Melissa and Adalind are struggling, Nick is forced to make a choice, and he shoots Melissa. As she is dying, she says: “He is coming for you. Beware, it’s close.”

Points Of Interest

1. I hope that this type of episode will be the norm for this series, with the use of a more obscure fairy tale. I feel like the creators will build a rich mythology if they continue in this direction.

2. It’s always great to see genre guest stars such as Nana Visitor (“Star Trek: Deep Space Nine”).

3. The interaction between Adalind Schade and Captain Renard continues, and it is now clear that he knows Nick is a Grimm. Is Renard, perhaps, a Hexenbeast, and if so, why hasn’t Nick seen his true form?

What Worked

On the surface, this seemed like a “monster of the week” story, but it turned out to be much more important in establishing Nick’s enemies and allies. Unfortunately, the bee sting at the very end may be a signal that he has lost an important ally.

The subtle touches are what really make this series shine. For instance, the use of a flash mob that was initiated on Twitter seems like the perfect method for a group of bee people to commit murder, give the social nature of bees.

What Didn't Work

Why doesn’t Hank suspect something is going on with Nick? In general, the strictly human characters are a bit one-dimensional so far. Perhaps this is deliberate, though.

Eddie, perhaps the most interesting character, was given little to do this time. In truth, Nick could have found Melissa without his help.

Doesn't the world have enough bad bee puns?

Giving Credit Where Credit Is Due

“Grimm” stars David Gluntoli, Russell Hornsby, Bitsie Tulloch and Silas Weir Mitchell. “Bee Ware” was written by Cameron Litvack and Thania St. John, and was directed by Darnell Martin.

“Grimm” airs Fridays at 9 p.m. ET on NBC.