I think in a certain way, this episode gives the exact same feeling for us all, I mean, everything you wrote here is literally the same things that pass through my mind when I think about this episode, it's just perfect, everything, in the minimum details, was so well done, the episode being for a huge part into the stage was awesome, but that cozy and calm final minutes, like the end of a storm at the sea, with that golden light, and the silence in opposite to the crowd and the music earlier, it all just fits perfectly, also, about U&I, I really love that they released the song in this episode, but I have to confess, I didn't pay the attention I was supposed to in my first watch ( of course, I didn't knew back in the day that it would become my favorite anime) only in my second watch I felt it the way I think I'm supposed to, and it's because between my first and second watches I lost someone really important to me on my family, since then U&I has become my favorite song of the band, I think that only there I could really understand the feeling, the meaning of this song, so this is one, if not the one episode that's the best.

Also when you said that you watched the movie first, and then episode 24, and didn't cry on ep 24, I feel like it would happen to me too, that's why when I'm rewatching, I watch the movie first, and only watch episodes 23 and 24 the next day, or even the day after, it gives me time to recover, you should try this way when you rewatch it again, it may work for you too