A question on Ghost in the Shell:Stand Alone Complex

I recently just finished watching the first season and the movie that follows the second season and I have a question for all of you out there. While I ‘got’ the basic plot of the show from what was provided on the DVDs I’ve had to go around and read various things, including the wikipedia pages on the show to ‘get’ everything. Do you think this is a good thing or a bad thing for a show?