Sarcasm is an adjusted stress reaction.

This is true, but I would honestly rather they just retconned all that repetitive character stagnation than kept it so as to be consistent within the season. We get it. Korra doesn't like to be protected. Now give her something else to do except SAY it.

Well, I can see a lot of interesting places this story could go. After all of this obviousness, I'm a lot less certain that these writers plan to go there, which is sad after A:tlA.