Excellent review, Rachel!
This is my favorite episode in a long time, largely because of the points you made.
I loved the involvement of the deaf community and thought the guest cast was outstanding. I also hope we see some of them again in the future. And, I thought Jorja did a great job signing throughout the episode. She made it seem very natural. It can't be easy learning a script in 2 languages.
I thought the best scenes were also the ones you mentioned; Betty and Sara, Julia and Sara, Catherine and Sara (it was so nice to finally see some friendly rapport between the 2 female co-stars), Nick and Sara, the ones with Hodges, and of course, the final scene with the Grissoms.
This was the episode I have been waiting for since Jorja returned. I was glad they addressed Grissom and Sara's marriage directly, and not ambiguously like they often do. We learned more about them in 45 minutes, than we've known in 10 years. And it all seemd very organic and nicely integrated with the story. The ending reminded me of a typical GSR scene of the past; it was unique, and very sweet, and made me incredibly nostalgic.
Thanks again for the great review! Looking forward to more.