History Recap / StarTrekDiscoveryS2E08IfMemoryServes

* BreakHisHeartToSaveHim: Burnham does to to Spock in her flashback, to protect him from the logic extremists.

** The choice of insult is a huge reference. Tellingly, Burnham calls Spock a “half-breed,” which is exactly what Kirk (or rather, his duplicate) calls Spock in the original series episode “What are Little Girls Made Of?”

** The “Goodbye Spock” joke is likely a reference to the famous ending line attributed to, but never used by Creator/GeorgeBurns and Gracie Allen.

** The “Goodbye Spock” joke is likely a reference to the famous ending line attributed to, but never used by Creator/GeorgeBurns and Gracie Allen

* ShoutOut: The illusory black hole at Talos IV is one to ''Film/{{Interstellar}}'', even using some of the same camera angles.

* MythologyGag: During young Burnham's breaking speech to Spock, she describes his humanity as a lone person on a cold moon. This literal situation is where Kirk finds future Spock in the ''Film/StarTrek2009'' reboot film.

* CallBack:
** Scenes from "[[Recap/StarTrekS1E0TheCage The Cage]]" give the viewer a quick recap of how Spock and Pike have previously been involved with Talos IV.
* ContinuityNod: Starbase 11 is where ''Enterprise'' was sent to pick up Pike [[Recap/StarTrekS1E11TheMenageriePartI in the future to return him to Talos IV]].
** The choice of insult is a huge reference. Tellingly, Burnham calls Spock a “half-breed,” which is exactly what Kirk (Or rather, his duplicate) calls Spock in the original series episode “What are Little Girls Made Of?”

* EvolutionaryRetcon: Aside from different actors playing the characters, the PreviouslyOn that begins the episode with scenes from the original version of Talos IV shows the very different head designs for the Talosians, changing them from MyBrainIsBig humans to sleeker RubberForeheadAliens (with enlarged craniums), more elaborate costumes, and even a more alien-looking version of the "singing" blue-leaved plants. Vina's true appearance is also significantly different, with the makeup looking less like the patchwork original version.

* {{Frameup}}: Tyler is framed by Airiam for the sabotage of the spore drive and for several unauthorized transmissions.
* LiteralMinded: Burnham tells Spock "Say goodbye, Spock," when illusions of them are beamed aboard Leland's ship. Spock gives the Vulcan salute and says "Goodbye Spock" as the illusions fade.

* PercussiveTherapy: Culber gets into a fist-fight with Tyler to help work out his issues. Saru allows it because he figures there's no recommended therapy for a BackFromTheDead doctor and the human/Klingon hybrid who killed him. Pike buys this reasoning but doesn't want it happening again.

** Spock's mental breakdown was caused because he depended on the concept of forward-moving linear time as a basis of reality. After his encounter with the Red Angel he started remembering future events and past events, breaking his sense of linear time and thus breaking him.

** Starfleet lied about Spock murdering several people.

* ScrewTheRulesImDoingWhatsRight: Pike disobeys standing Starfleet order to return to Talos IV to pick up Burnham and Spock, then goes rogue when ordered to go to Starbase 11 once Burnham and Spock inform him what the stakes really are and what the Red Angel is trying to prevent. The rest of the crew don't even wait for him to make the standard "I'm about to disobey orders" speech to give them legal cover before they announce they're with him.

* SpottingTheThread: Although there isn't time to deal with it this episode, when Leland and his ship show up on the way to Talos IV Pike realizes it couldn't have been Tyler who tipped them off because he was in custody.

** Young Burnham is nearly killed on Vulcan's Forge by what looks like a le-matya, the same creature that killed young Spock's pet sehlat in the animated series' "[[Recap/StarTrekTheAnimatedSeriesS1E2Yesteryear Yesteryear]]".

* {{Troll}}: Either the Talosians, Burnham and Spock, or both groups together troll Leland when the illusory Burnham and Spock on the Section 31 ship disappear with the "Say goodbye, Spock" joke.

* SpottingTheThread: Although there isn't time to deal with it this episode, when Leland and his ship show up on the way to Talos IV Pike knows it couldn't have been Tyler who tipped them off because he was in custody.

* LiteralMinded: Burnham tells Spock "Say hello, Spock," when illusions of them are beamed aboard Leland's ship. Spock gives the Vulcan salute and says "Hello Spock" as the illusions fade.

* {{Troll}}: Either the Talosians, Burnham and Spock, or both groups together troll Leland when the illusionary Burnham and Spock on the Section 31 ship disappear with the "Say hello, Spock" joke.

** Spock's mental breakdown was caused because he depended on the concept of linear time as a basis for rationality. After his encounter with the Red Angel, he started remembering future events which broke that concept, and thus him.

* NotEvilJustMisunderstood: The Talosians are not just selfishly looking for other beings to enjoy their memories and experiences, which is what Michael initially assumes when they ask for her memory of hurting Spock. Vina provides herself as an example, since the Talosians want her to live a healthy life without being crippled through their power of illusion. The Talosians just need Burnham's memory to help heal Spock.

** Scene from "[[Recap/StarTrekS1E0TheCage The Cage]]" give the viewer a quick recap of how Spock and Pike have previously been involved with Talos IV.

** In order to protect him from the logic extremists, Burnham called Spock a half-breed and claimed not to love him.