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Hotshot Kirk. 
The new crew. 
Elder Spock.
After Star Trek: Enterprise was cancelled, the series was considered to be on its deathbed. Over-saturation had led to declining interest in the franchise. The best years were said to be behind it. The TNG films had been in decline for years, with Nemesis being the final nail in the coffin. Then, in 2009, JJ Abrams directed a film that rebooted the franchise for the true “next generation”: Star Trek 2009.
Star Trek 2009 made one very smart choice. While it starred the TOS crew, the plot of the film involves splintering timelines. As such, this crew does not exist in the “prime” universe (the one that is featured in all the television shows). Instead, the Abrams films take place in what is now called the “Kelvin Universe”. Because of this, the film was able to reboot the franchise using familiar names but unfamiliar faces. Kirk, Spock, McCoy and the rest of the crew were recast with younger actors. Star Trek 2009 is an origin story: in this alternate timeline it describes how Kirk became commander of the USS Enterprise.
In the film, a Romulan named Nero goes back in time. Doing so causes the timeline to split and our new adventure to begin. Nero is seeking Spock to answer for his crime of not saving Romulus from a super nova. Once he deals with Spock, Nero plans to destroy all Federation worlds with “red matter” so that every citizen of the Federation will know the pain that he feels. It is up to young James T. Kirk to save the day. With a new crew and a new ship, Kirk must work to stop Nero before his destructive plan can be initiated.
In this podcast, Wes and Clay discuss the effectiveness of what Abrams did with the franchise. Plus! The guys talk about the most McGuffin of all McGuffins, the subtle re-configuring of established relationships, and Nero being mad at Spock for being late!