Episode #630

You know even if he wasn't available why wouldn't they still have used the ghost of Paul Stoddard anyway. They had Jeremiah's ghost even though Anthony George didn't play him.

Well, I guessing that they probably figured they could get away with having another actor play Jeremiah's ghost because, when Jeremiah died, his face was all bandaged and that's the way they had his ghost appear as well (and with Josette they could sometimes get away with not using KLS because Josette often appeared with her wedding veil over her face). But Paul's face was unharmed and perfectly recognizable when he died, so the bandage ploy was out (and they couldn't very well use a wedding veil with him  ), and they probably didn't want to recast because, well, they'd had sooooooo much luck with recasts (he said completely facetiously  ).

Betsy Durkin was a very different sort of type as compared to AM. Alexandra Molka was a European aristocratic, a refined cool beauty and Durkin a more aggressive, nervous type. In many ways Durkin did seem more of an "orphan", nervous, insecure, a little rough and tough who looked like she may have had a hard childhood who had to fight and scrape (if you read about orphanages back in those days). Though I think AM a fascinating choice as Vickie, in reality, though, I couldn't see her raised in a fondling home. AM came from old money and family and looked it. But, at least she never shoved her refined nature in our faces. She was happy taking the back seat and subtly allowing the rest to shine. That's why AM made the character work.

I would've like to have seen the goodbye scene between Barnabas and Vicki with AM back as Vicki.

I think you hit the nail on the head, I think probably the only reason they did this 3 day back in time thing was to have Barnabas FINALLY move on w/out Vicki.  It's been a while since I've seen these eps though so not sure.

But Paul's face was unharmed and perfectly recognizable when he died, so the bandage ploy was out (and they couldn't very well use a wedding veil with him (he said completely facetiously  ).

Oh come on, sure they could!  Don't you know that's the REAL reason he and Liz split?  She was tired of him dressing up in her clothes!  

Well, I guessing that they probably figured they could get away with having another actor play Jeremiah's ghost because, when Jeremiah died, his face was all bandaged and that's the way they had his ghost appear as well (and with Josette they could sometimes get away with not using KLS because Josette often appeared with her wedding veil over her face). But Paul's face was unharmed and perfectly recognizable when he died, so the bandage ploy was out (and they couldn't very well use a wedding veil with him  ), and they probably didn't want to recast because, well, they'd had sooooooo much luck with recasts (he said completely facetiously  ).

I don't think Barnabas shot Jeremiah in the face, so having his face wrapped up seemed rather weird, the only reason being that it was a different actor playing him.

They could have had Paul's ghost be a swirling light, sort of ectoplasm type of spirit,, or in the shadow so you wouldn't be able to see his face. It just would have made for a better story if Paul had  haunted Jeb. Peter's ghost was just so far removed. Some of the viewers probably hadn't seen that storyline, and wouldn't even know who Peter or Vicki were. Plus if they were watching the Leviathan story from its beginning it made no sense at all to say that Jeb killed anyone in 1796. He wasn't corporeal at that time.

Misa

I don't think Barnabas shot Jeremiah in the face, so having his face wrapped up seemed rather weird.  They could have had Paul's ghost be a swirling light, sort of ectoplasm type of spirit,, or in the shadow so you wouldn't be able to see his face.

True, Jeremiah was *not* shot in the face or head as I recall, I think he was hit in the chest.  And as far as having another actor play Paul's ghost, heck, they covered Dave Woodard's head w/a brown paper bag, LOL!  He looked like the Unknown Comic from the Gong Show! 

Actually, having just watched Ep #384 for today's slideshow, it's not made clear where Jeremiah was shot. We see Jeremiah praying just before Barnabas shoots, then the scene cuts to Josette and Angelique's arrival, and the next we see Jeremiah he's already on the ground with no visible wound or even a dab of blood anywhere on his body. Though, unlike his chest, at least most of the right side of his face/head isn't visible.

I re-watched the Betsy Durkin-as-Vicki episodes and now can see why Alexandra Moltke (pregnant at the time) bailed so quickly before completing her storyline - thus perplexing her fans. AM gave birth to her son around June of '69, so she was likely 2-3 months into her pregnancy when Vicki was:
attacked by Tom Jennings the vampire (and thrown around), menaced by Adam the monster-man (and thrown around), tortured in a laboratory, prone to suicidal tendencies after Peter/Jeff vanished, prone to collapsing on the floor in grief... all heavy physical stuff for an expectant actress. Betsy Durkin couldn't hope to fill Alexandra's shoes (or her sleeveless dresses from Ohrbach's), but give her credit for being a darn good stuntwoman.