After teasing the Keys and the lost-for-centuries mysterious treasure for four and a half seasons, Grimm decided to... hide the treasure behind some bricks. Yep. Instead of, you know, following up on this MASSIVE story arc.

Grimm Season 5 Episode 14 was mostly Case of the Week, with a good dose of fault lines being caused because Renard doesn't talk to people, apparently.

There wasn't a huge element of mystery to the Case of the Week, which involved a horrible Blutbad disorder called Lycanthropia.

Being a long-time fan of fantasy, I found it incredibly weird when people (Wu, I'm looking at you!) had to ask what in the world that was. A more believable response from Wu would have been, "Werewolves?! Great. Just when you think it's safe to go hiking in the woods at night." 

The lycanthrope could only be Doyle or his mother, and once they successfully incarcerated Doyle, Rule of Drama meant that it had to be his mother. The coyness and ambiguity played up earlier in the episode actually increased the probability that she was the lycanthrope, because Doyle was the obvious candidate. Oh, well.

The case actually had a rare Pyrrhic victory for Team Grimm. While they solved the case and stopped the lycanthrope from killing any more, two innocent hikers were dead, they found no convenient cure, and poor Doyle lost his mother forever. There was no last-second reprieve for her, no Deus ex Machina to save her.

Plus, Wu got a suspicious injury which will no doubt cause him even more problems in the future. Poor guy can't seem to get a break. If it's not tainted cookies or pica, it's mental breakdown or Wesen attacks. Wu should definitely check his back for a "Kick Me" sign directed to the universe. Or at least the writers.

Elsewhere in the episode, Eve discovered Rachel Wood's part in the scheme to make Renard mayor, and informed Nick and Hank.

Why Renard didn't inform Team Grimm about Black Claw's overtures, I really don't understand. I would imagine something like that could be, I don't know, important? Especially given that they went through the trouble of assassinating Andrew Dixon to bring it about?

Secrets and lies seem to be a big theme lately. They've definitely caused problems for our heroes before, and that really hasn't changed. Let's take a look a few of the secrets and lies going on right now:

• Renard finally revealed Diana's fate to Adalind, who was shocked and angered because Meisner hadn't said anything about Diana when they met in a previous episode. What gives, Meisner? Additionally, Renard and Adalind are keeping their meetings regarding Diana a secret from Nick.
• Adalind has not yet told Nick about the return of her 'biestly powers, though she gave herself away to Renard.
• Nick stashed the treasure chest (and the magic stick) in a not-exactly-secure location, while still keeping its existence secret from Renard and Adalind. You remember Adalind, right? The woman who lives with Nick upstairs from the hiding place?
• Renard, as mentioned above, for some reason never told Team Grimm or Hadrian's Wall about Rachel Wood, Black Claw, and their desire to ensure he gets elected mayor. Eve discovered this on her own, potentially causing a schism.

It's frustrating to watch, because it's absolutely inevitable that some or all of these will result in absolute disaster. It's like watching a train wreck in slow motion, though not nearly so intellectually fascinating.

I understand operational security and all that, but where is the line between protecting yourself and others and foolish secrecy for the sake of secrecy?

Of the cases I just mentioned, Renard is the most guilty of this. Maybe he's not used to trusting other people, but there is much to gain and not a lot to lose by bringing Team Grimm into the loop!

A few final thoughts and musings:

• It really is annoying that Grimm went through all the trouble to bring back the Key arc, only to stuff it back into the box almost immediately in favor of Cases of the Week.
• Doyle's howl of mourning for his mother calls back Monroe's similar behavior for Angelina Lasser in Grimm Season 2 Episode 6.
• You're in the woods at night, searching for a murderous wolf-monster. Why in the name of all that is good would you split up?!
• If Doyle's mother had Lycanthropia, what does that mean for Doyle? Will he get Lycanthropia himself some day? And was she a lycanthrope her whole life? The books seemed to indicate that the condition manifested in childhood...
• Nick finally got that door open, and found a hole. A very, very deep hole. We got gratuitous shirtlessness.
• Be sure to check out the Grimm quotes page for some of the notable lines from this episode!

So, what did you think of "Lycanthropia"? Did you peg the mother as the lycanthrope? What do you think Renard will do? Why is Black Claw so determined to make him mayor? Which secrets are the most dangerous? Let us know in the comments section below!

If you missed the action, fear not! You can watch Grimm online to catch up. Grimm returns on Friday, April 1, 2016 at 9/8c on NBC with Grimm Season 5 Episode 15, "Skin Deep."

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