Good synopsis. Only thing that I would add is that the expanding universe CMB at 2.7 K is a partially ionized plasma at 3,000 K in its rest frame. In a contracting universe, the CMB is actually a lot colder than 2.7 K by the same factor of 1100 or so, but still partially ionized and force at the CMB has just grown large enough to freeze electrons and protons from gaechron.
The really nice thing about contraction is that it is the acceleration of light that determines electron and proton and other isotope masses, charge force, gravity force, and the universe contraction rate. You do not need any other constants than the three of c/alpha, m_dot, and m_gaechron...and of course matter, time, and action.
The DFM plasma seems to suggest that the CMB is actually emitting at 2.7 K and has no particular origin or frame of reference. So the CMB would not be a plasma at all, just a neutral gas expanding randomly and thermally. Neutral hydrogen at 2.7 K would for course be very transparent if it were not plasma. That was one of the original hopes...to be able to see back to the future by picking up recycled light echos.