Well, it was clear as far back as the first movie that the free humans were getting information from some sources that were, at least, idiosyncratic; by the end it was clear that much of their information was manipulated by the machines as a means of establishing control. So, while perhaps in some ways progressively more depressing, the "'coppertop idea' as free humans getting the fundamental nature of the situation wrong" explanation, I feel, isn't insulting, and is progressively more plausible as the series progresses.