Rose, welcome to the board!
I don't think they assume we're stupid. It's a soap opera. Fiction. They can screw things up in fiction all they like! I think it's all fun and take it with a grain of salt. I've been watching this show since it first aired as a half hour soap opera. I walked home for lunch every day when I was in elementary school and my grandmother was always watching DOOL.
They've done some pretty crazy things over the years and I still keep coming back for more.
