TWOK left the door open to Spock's return with that lovely shot of his torpedo/coffin (which they actually make now) on the Genesis planet. (IIRC, they added that shot very late in production.) Not to mention "Remember".
Kirk pays a pretty high price getting Spock back. His son, his ship, and without knowing the plot of TVH, his career. No cheap gag about it.
Reply back in the Trek thread...