Episode 3 ofThe CrownSeason 5 drops us into a soccer game in Egypt in 1946 between local Egyptians and British soldiers, during which the British throw more elbows than Karl Malone. It’s a mismatched contest that the locals cannot win and, in many ways, a microcosm of Egypt under British imperial rule. Mou Mou (Amir El-Masry), the episode’s namesake, is a local Egyptian whom the British ignore when he calls for a foul after he’s knocked to the ground. Mou Mou shrugs off the snub and, as he does, overlooks the primary credo for the episode. The British Empire will never see him as an equal deserving of a voice, and he will spend this lifetime chasing their approval at immense financial and personal cost.
Later on the Egyptian streets, Mou Mou hawks Coca-Cola outside the gates of a wealthy enclave. He briefly stops selling soda to pitch himself to a wealthy girl through the gates but is distracted as everyone gathers for the arrival of King Edward (Alex Jennings) and Wallis Simpson (Lia Williams). The girl’s brother then shows up, puffing out his chest and telling Mou Mou to get lost but, intrigued by Mou Mou’s salesmanship, throws out an out-of-left-field offer to back his bottle-selling operation. Mou Mou agrees to the partnership after negotiating a favorable split on their return, the first inclination of Mou Mou’s sense of business and future success.
That night Mou Mou, whose full name is Mohamed Al-Fayed, discusses his experience at the gates and the arrival of King Edward over dinner with his father. His pops, who has witnessed British imperial rule for decades, warns Mou Mou about the British. He resents them for what they’ve done to Egypt but reserves the most contempt for the original Egyptians who sold out the country to Imperial rule. Again, more Egyptians burned after seeking approval from the British, and again, a lesson ignored. In private, Mou Mou expresses his envy of the high status held by the British and condemns his unambitious father. He asserts the British should be treated like Gods because, in his eyes, they are. Who knew a couple of pasty in-bred royals could be so inspiring? Elsewhere in the city, King Edward tells his wife Wallis that he has taken a liking to his new valet, a Bahamian gentleman named Sydney. He wasn’t sure if he would - after all, Sydney is a constant reminder of their time exiled in the Bahamas during World War II after Edward’s abdication. Regardless, he offers Sydney a permanent position as his valet, and Sydney enthusiastically accepts.
RELATED:‘The Crown’ Season 5 Cast and Character Guide
Mou Mou also continues climbing the social ladder and marries the girl through the gates. Together they have a son, and Mou Mou rejoices at his arrival, telling him they will conquer the world as father and son. He bestows him with a nickname: Dodi. Now we know the reason for this narrative detour to mid-century Egypt. The boy he cradles is Dodi Al-Fayed, the future lover (and rumored fiancé) of Princess Diana (Elizabeth Debicki), who will die with her in the infamous Pont D’Alma car accident in Paris.
After a brief jump in time to 1979, an older Mohamed “Mou Mou” Al-Fayed (Salim Daw) and an adult Dodi (Khalid Abdalla) meet with some snooty French hoteliers. Fayed has clearly had a big glow-up since his Coca-Cola shilling days and offers a cool $18 million for the hotel. But the owners of The Ritz aren’t eager to accept. Despite the significantly large offer, they are suspicious of Fayed’s legitimacy and somewhat shady business dealings. Fayed expresses offense, disappointment, and contempt in his treatment, arguing that the hotel needs rescue, and he only wants to restore its status as the greatest hotel in the world. The passage of time has not made Fayed less naive about the limited doors money can open. After threatening to walk on the deal, the French reluctantly accept his bid.
At The Ritz’s re-opening party, Fayed spots a black waiter (Jude Aduwudike) serving guests. He instructs Dodi to get rid of him, proposing that his presence might ruin The Ritz’s reputation on its first night. It’s an (obviously) racist sentiment that’s all the more damning for Fayed, as it represents the same bigotry and gatekeeping he is trying to overcome himself. Dodi shamefully complies, later expressing regret to his father. Dodi reveals that the dismissed waiter’s name is Sydney Johnson, and he was once King Edward’s valet, a position he held for over 30 years.
This reveal piques Fayed’s interest because, as we will soon learn, he’s still in love with the British. He invites Sydney to learn more about his service to King Edward, learning that as Edward’s personal valet, Sydney took care of every aspect of his life. Fayed again spews some casual racism and asks Sydney how someone of his background knew how to serve a King. Sydney beams as he replies that Edward taught him everything he knows. Feeling an opportunity to achieve his greatest wish, Fayed asks if Sydney could do the same for him. With Sydney as his valet, Fayed has a chance to become a true British gentleman.
Sydney agrees, and we flash back and forth from the society and etiquette lessons Edward taught Sydney in the past to Sydney sharing the same lessons with Fayed in the present. What books to read, how to prepare tea, the importance of socks and appropriate attire, how to play gentleman sports like golf, hunting, and polo — Sydney tells Fayed everything he knows. Most importantly, Sydney impresses upon Fayed that the royal family is the key to everything in British society. The closer you are, the higher your status.
After some quick back-of-the-envelope math, Fayed hilariously decides the key to obtaining access to the Queen is to simply purchase Harrods. He explains the plan to his family and close confidants, suggesting this purchase will get them access, power, legitimacy, and even British citizenship. Dodi scoffs at the $600 million price point and confronts his father in private regarding the investment. Dodi asserts that such significant spending will deprive Dodi of the funds necessary to strike out on his own and pursue his business dreams, which consist of making movies. Fayed says that’s ridiculous because the money isn’t Dodi’s to use — it’s his fortune to do with what he pleases. Dodi lashes out and claims that his father asks for the impossible: how can he stand on his own two feet without his Father providing the autonomy or support needed to do so?
Dodi’s words must ring true with Fayed because, after another jump in time, Fayed and Dodi sit on a film set and watch as a movie they’ve ostensibly produced comes to life. Dodi explains to his father the film is about a Jew who overcomes prejudice and bigotry to win the Olympics (the film we now know asChariots of Fire). At first, Fayed doesn’t get the appeal (Egyptians historically don’t have much love for the Jewish people) until Dodi explains it in terms his father can understand: it’s a film about an outsider becoming an insider. This explanation resonates with Fayed, chasing clout being his life’s pursuit. Later, Fayed and Sydney watch the Oscars together at home asChariots of Firewins Best Picture. The director names Fayed and Dodi in the acceptance speech, and Fayed cheers with pride. He’s climbed another rung of the ladder but has no one to celebrate with except Sydney (the implication being he wasn’t invited to the ceremony or any Hollywood parties).
Fayed finally buys Harrods, but Sydney can’t celebrate with him. He mourns the death of Wallis Simpson, who passed away from a heart attack alone after years of eating through a tube as she battled arthritis and mental derangement (woof!). In a show of their increasing equality, Fayed serves a depressed Sydney tea as he wistfully looks over old photos from his time serving Edward and Wallis. A picture of Edward and Wallis’ house in France catches Fayed’s eye, and when asked about its status, Sydney explains the house fell into ruin after the Duke’s death and now sits abandoned.
Fayed and Sydney visit the former Duke’s home, and Sydney laments its destitute condition, bemoaning how “there was so much happiness here.” Fayed, ever the Anglophile, doesn’t understand why the home’s possessions aren’t returning to the Crown. Sydney explains how the house and everything in it is the property of the French government and is now up for auction. Fayed, sensing another opportunity to get in with the Royals, purchases the house and possessions from France. Sydney oversees the restorations and renovations of the house to its former glory, proudly donning his former valet’s uniform as he does. In an interview, Fayed explains that the home is a historical landmark that he intends to preserve and give as a gift back to the Royal family. At last, an act the Crown cannot ignore.
And he’s absolutely right. In Buckingham, an aide notifies the Queen (Imelda Staunton), Phillip (Jonathan Pryce), Margaret (Lesley Manville), and the Queen Mother (Marcia Warren) that Fayed has invited the Queen to visit. Phillip scoffs and immediately warns Elizabeth, “don’t you dare.” Elizabeth expresses a similar sentiment: it was controversial for her to see her uncle in life, and it isn’t any less controversial in death. Their feelings change when the aide points out the countless royal possessions in the house, including valuable jewelry and paintings he deems belong to the Crown. Most importantly, the house contains years of Edward’s writings, papers, and diaries. These documents likely contain several potentially embarrassing revelations, such as scandalous details about Edward’s love affairs, his abdication, or the period during World War II when he was in the frequent company of, uh, Nazis.
As such, the group decides it’s prudent to visit Fayed’s new home and retrieve these items. Fayed is elated at the news the Queen is coming; his gambit has paid off. He assembles Dodi and Sydney to receive the Queen, but when the group from the Palace arrives, Elizabeth is a no-show. The Crown’s aide dutifully collects all the items in question, and Fayed gives up everything without a fuss, including Edward’s diaries. After years of watching Edward’s treatment at the hands of the royal family, Sydney understands that this is a slight towards Fayed and that the Crown took advantage of them. Like a partner in an abusive relationship, Fayed doesn’t see it the same way — he naively chooses to celebrate the fact that he was able to make the Queen happy. The whole ordeal upsets Sydney, and he falls gravely ill. Fayed, ever grateful for Sydney’s years of friendship and all Sydney taught him, dutifully cares for him during his final days in a touching reversal. Sydney eventually passes, and Fayed has him buried with a tombstone that reads “valet to the king.”
