She's... awesome in War of the Damned.
Yes, she is.
I can't even imagine the other Naevia as a true action girl as her. Wow. I think she will forget the other one.
The new navia looked too suited for the "warrior" part of the character. She wouldnt have suited the character navia was originally imo tho. It's funny how different actresses played different parts of a character, and that neither of them would have been suitable for the other, yet were so perfect for the ones they played.
I don't see what's not dainty about her appearance. Have you seen her outside the role of Naevia? She could have played non warrior Naevia easily.
http://vignette1.wikia.nocookie.net/spartacus/images/7/73/Cynthia-adda i-robinson.jpg
http://www.pittsburghurbanmedia.com/clientfiles/image/cynthia.jpg
In fact they show her in Naevia's old slave clothes in the episode when they find her in the mines and Crixus was day dreaming of her. So keeping that in mind, it would be a much easy transition for her to have played Naevia from the beginning.
it would have been cooler to have an actress that did not suit the guise of warrior, becoming such a competent one.
Ive seen old Naevia in action oriented roles and it just looked odd. She's not very good with a sword either. Her face is too 'cutesy'. When she gets angry she looks like a child pouting.