It is possible, but I don't think so. It appears to me to be more like him slipping back into a familiar behavior, as we all do from time-to-time.
Now, there have been other instances in our R where I would agree with what you said. Instances where he would oh...stand up to me, asserting himself...or testing the waters to see what I would do. Many of those occasions I conceeded, not to intentionally let him regain power in the R necessarily...but because he had very valid points.
