Earlier this week a slew of images from J.J. Abrams‘ Star Trek reboot, reimagining, redo, do over, what have you hit the web, and today an accompanying article from Entertainment Weekly talks to the actors and reflects on the footage shown to the magazine. Since we weren’t able to see that same footage (why not show it to everyone, Paramount?) we’re basically left to conjecture on the images themselves, and pat our inner fanboy on the back in consolation.

First of all, the above image shows how they’re really trying to imitate the style of the original show with those uniforms. They look like they’re made out of some kind of space-age Under Armour style, but at first glance all you see are the classic colors of the original series, with the one change being Kirk’s black shirt, which makes him look more like a mercenary in training than the captain of a starship.

EW says the set looks like the interior of an Apple Store in this image, and they’re right on the money. Everything is so shiny and see-through that it looks like the bar area of a new club in downtown Los Angeles, rather than a functional command center. It’s a surprise that Starfleet doesn’t issue regulation sunglasses when you’re promoted to work on the bridge. One good shakeup from a photon torpedo and everything in there would shatter to pieces, including Kirk’s ego. One thing that seems so out of place in this photo: Simon Pegg as Scotty. One of these kids is not like the other.

Now this is what everyone is focusing on, and yesterday the question of the day was “Who is Spock choking out in this picture?” when it seemed pretty obvious that is Kirk, simplay based on the sideburns alone. Spock is going all Sylar on Kirk, and he’s showing a lot of emotion on his face for someone who is supposed to purge everything human and focus on pure logic. It’ll probably end up being a fantasy sequence, or something will happen that makes Spock lose control of his human side (he’s half human, half Vulcan) and go haywire.

The nerd in me can easily identify this photograph as an escape pod from the Enterprise, based on the NCC-1701 designation on it. The question is, why did Kirk have to bail out? Does it have something to do with Spock laying some smackdown on him? Did he set the Enterprise to self-destruct, like so many Kirks and Picards after him? Looks like they want to show Kirk’s brawny side as well, since he’s single-handedly hauling himself out of an ice crater. Old Kirk would have just waited on someone to pick him up while snacking on the ship’s survival rations.

This shot shows off more of the bridge, and highlights the fact that women on the Enterprise still wear fairly short skirts, which probably aren’t too practical in zero gravity. Also, Spock seems to have just stepped into the photo candidly “on accident” to show off his pointy ears, while Karl Urban’s Dr. McCoy in the background ponders the meaning of life, or the best way to tell his the Captain, “He’s dead, Jim.” Kirk’s left hand also appears to be bandaged in this scene, which means he probably injured it while stroking his own ego.

This is the first clear shot that’s been seen of Eric Bana’s Nero, the Romulan (reportedly) villain in the film. He apparently walks tall, carries a big stick, and likes to brood. He almost looks green-skinned as well, although that just may be the lighting since Abrams probably doesn’t want to recall Bana’s days as the Hulk. He probably sneers a lot and barks orders at his underlings in this film, and I’m sure there will be some sort of a face-off between him and Captain Kirk.

This image shows the U.S.S. Kelvin taking a real beating, and probably means that the ship doesn’t survive the fight. One interesting thing to note is that the phasers in this photo, right about the 5 and the 1, are mounted on turrets, which is new to the Trek world, a fact which I probably should be ashamed for knowing. All of those years of watching Trek, and this is how my knowledge pays off? It’s not exactly the sort of information than impresses people. They tend to look at you and go, “Now that’s just sad.” In this film, before Kirk is born, an attack on this ship by the Romulans sets the stage for a Hatfields vs. McCoys (not the good doctor) style feud.

These photos do two things at the same time: the make you realize how dated the old Trek looked, and they make you nostalgic for the real thing. As hammy as Shatner is, it’s extremely strange seeing someone else play Captain Kirk. The same doesn’t seem to apply to Zachary Quinto as Spock; he just fits into that role perfectly. Thankfully he hasn’t worn out his welcome from Heroes just yet, because he’s honestly the most exciting thing about this movie, besides the fact that Leonard Nimoy also plays Spock in it. It’s just tough to get behind Anton Yelchin as Chekov, John Cho as Sulu, and Simon Pegg as Scotty. And I’ll have to wait to hear Zoe Saldana speak as Uhura before I can get behind that casting.

Paramount originally released these images shotgun-style, by giving several different web outlets a different image. Then they only showed the footage to EW in advance, and the rest of us will have to wait until November 14th when the trailer rolls in front of Quantum of Solace. Seriously Paramount, can’t you just release this stuff on your own? People will be equally as excited, and I’m not sure how scattering the images all over the web will increase awareness of this movie. These same sites will pick them up and run them no matter where they come from. And if you’ve got footage to show off, share it with all of us.