You could use some JavaScript via Free Nodelet Settings or proprietary browser extension (eg Greasemonkey) to rewrite the 'Comment on' node.
<!--
Free Nodelet example.
Replaces the preview of the comment's parent node
with a preview of the parent AND its children.
Extending it to preview the entire thread (eg,
root and all children) left as an exercise to
the reader and to those with better knowledge
of JS and/or PM tickers. :-)
-->
<script language="javascript1.2">
var lb = "\x5B"; // PM doesn't like you using
var rb = "\x5D"; // square-brackets directly
var allDivs = document.getElementsByTagName('div');
var pNodes = document.getElementsByName('note_parent_node');
if (pNodes.length) {
pNodeID = eval('pNodes' + lb + 0 + rb + '.value');
for (var i = 0; i < allDivs.length; i++) {
var thisDiv = eval("allDivs" + lb + i + rb);
if (thisDiv.className == 'preview') {
var previewHtml = thisDiv.innerHTML.split(/<hr/);
var previewForm = eval("previewHtml" + lb + 1 + rb);
thisDiv.innerHTML = '<iframe name="nodeThread"'
+ ' src="/?replies=1;displaytype=print;node_id='
+ pNodeID
+ '" width="100%" height="50%"></iframe><hr'
+ previewForm;
}
}
}
</script>