You make it seem like she has not worked super hard in preparation for this season but she has. Last season, Sarah's artistic expression was non-existent...wooden at best...this season she has come alive with choreography and expression...she's performing the heck out of Riverdance and Firebird. This is what the judges are rewarding. In her two competitions so far this season, it's clear that Sarah's artistic improvements are not a fluke. The judges like what they see, they see her improvement and are rewarding her accordingly (in competition after competition).
No skater is ever perfect, but Sarah Everhardt just beat the current World Champion! When Sarah Hughes started beating Michelle and Irina (in 2001) it took her exactly one season to become Olympic Champion! Tara Lipinski had the same trajectory. She beat Michelle at Nationals and at the World Championships in 1997 and she won Olympic Gold the very next season! Having a full Grand Prix season the year before the Olympics helped both Sarah Hughes and Tara Lipinski make their case. That is why it is so important that Sarah Everhardt have the same kind of opportunities this season.
This is how skating works! We have seen it so many times. Some skater comes out of nowhere and has a meteoric, unexpected and unstoppable rise. Alina Zagitova is another example. Fan's feathers may get ruffled (when the established favorite does not win) but that's just the nature of sport.