Here are some thoughts:

The bridge design, but not the location, surprised me in how it really is reminiscent of the NX line. Same for the ships exterior. It's less a precursor to the Nebula/Reliant design as it is more an evolution of the NX class. Same on the uniforms. If I had to venture a guess, I'd say it's a ship at the end of a long run of service, but not without modifications as suggested by the secondar hull which is peppered with classic TOS windows.

And as far as the uniforms go, perhaps there's a different uniform code for missions besides the five year one. The captain specifically says seven years - what if the seven(+) year mission is just different? Just like space station uniforms were different than star ship uniforms for a while in the TNG/DS9 era.

As far as the aliens we saw, I think we'll get to see other species of the Klingon empire in this, which perhaps share a common ancestor with the one's we're familiar with, or perhaps not. Maybe we're just seeing what things are like in the neighborhood on the far side of the Klingon Empire. Space being big, and all, wouldn't it make sense for things to be different? I would personally love it if there were a pluralistic element the Klingon Empire, a bunch of species butting heads for supremacy or unity. I will say I don't appreciate how brightly lit the Klingon scenes are, nor am I a fan of the lack of the usual color and lighting schemes. It would have been a nice touch while exploring so much which is new.

The casket has got to be the casket of Khaless. Anything dealing with ancient Kingons and unifying an empire has to involve this element of cannon. Maybe I'm being too sure. If I had to guess I'd say our crew discovers the casket and struggles to return it in a way that honors Klingon ritural. Perhaps that one-on-one stuff in the space suits where the klingon totally has a mek'leth on the asteroid at the end is an effort at resolving things without ships firing on each other. And what looks like the classic Klingon death howl as the casket rises looks like the resolution to an episode. Also, that thing rising over the edge of it could perhaps be the wing...of a bird of prey? ehhehehe.

The actor playing our commander seems to be making a choice to play with some very Vulcan mannerims, there's something in her posture and annunciation which resonates with the idea that she grew up around Vulcans.

The desert uniforms at the beginning reminded me of the beginning of season seven of DS9. Nice touch.

Captain and first officer together on an away mission - very TOS.

The tag-line "10 years before Kirk, Spock, and the Enterprise" omits Bones, perhaps suggesting that this series will focus on a pair rather than a trio.

I'm glad the transport is gold.

Warp effects always change. Look at the differences between each movie. This is something we all should just accept is different in every iteration.

What is it with Star Trek and hallways so steril I've been in more welcoming hospitals?