Sorry, but I only just now caught the above spoiler.

I didn't realized Joel Crothers would come back to play Nathan. So I was very surprised to see him in this role again. I thought I had seen the last of him.

OMG, that must have been such a treat for you. 

This was mentioned before, but I feel compelled to say it again. I think it's a shame that Barnabas couldn't go back in time to the time before Naomi died, and he didn't even consider it. He was only thinking about Vicki at this point, and not his mother.

I sorta brought this up before too, but since Peter was the designated driver through time, and Barnabas felt the only reason Peter would listen to him in the first place was because they both wanted the same thing (to save Vicki with maybe Peter's life thrown in for good measure), I don't think it would have been wise of Barnabas to ask for something else, namely an extra day so he could also save Naomi.  But that doesn't necessarily mean he wasn't thinking about his mother because we saw that the rage in him over her suicide was still there.

I just can't believe Barnabas could be will to the past. I thought that was really out there and lazy on the writers. Couldn't they come up with anything else.

Barnabas didn't will himself into the past-- he used Peter to bring him there just as Peter was the vehicle that brought Vicki back to that year.  Barn assumed his spirit would be willing since Peter had basically doomed Vicki by bringing her there, plus his own hanging was imminent.  Asking for Peter's help was mentioned a few times in #660 and twice more in this episode.  Here's RobinV's description of that final instance:

Barnabas summons Peter Bradford's spirit--help me as you helped Vicki to transcend time's barrier--I must rectify a great wrong from the past--open the way for me, I implore you! says Barnabas, and suddenly, it appears that Julia has disappeared! We hear howling dogs, and Barnabas stands, fangs bared, dressed in his old 18th century outfit! He has returned to the past!

I don't think it was necessarily lazy writing, and at the very least the writers were being consistent because I don't find this development all that different from having [spoiler]Sarah's spirit be responsible for sending Vicki to the past the first time (during the seance).[/spoiler]

I, too, would be eager to know a more official reason why he was recast.

KLS' explanation (see Reply #2  ) is the only one I can offer you, sorry.

Not gumming his vics? 

Fantastic photos.  Wow, a Halloween party at a house that's on the cover of a book about haunted houses!

Patrick mentioned that their party is this weekend; I think it's tonight.

I think it was the alcohol.

It was.  And not knowing his lines because of it.

That and he'd often show up late.

He'd show up hung over, or not show up at all.

And you may want to strongly consider sharing a quote because left to my own devices I may come up with another one for those dates from Amanda Harris (or some similar type of character) as I did for September 24th:

A great choice for today, MB, and also a vast improvement, lol.