I never really thought Breaking Bad was light fare.

In fact, I thought it was one of the more intense shows on television, the story of a high school chem teacher whose insurance won’t cover the only treatment that might save him from dying of cancer. So he does what anyone in his situation would do, right?

He starts cooking crystal meth with a former student.

[Cue funky Breaking Bad theme twang.]

But the tagline is “The End Justifies the Extreme” and this season has been utterly extreme so far, never more so than the last couple of episodes.

Even Tuco’s utter insanity was mere prelude.

But you know what? I think it’s brilliant. We usually see the hapless pot dealers and the violent cocaine cartels. But even that cocaine violence sort of makes sense. It’s orderly in its own sort of way.

The violence on this show is so sudden, so schizophrenic, so … utterly startling and scary and — well, just look at Tuco and how he dealt so sensitively with his grandfather (and then so insanely).

The true cost of what Walter and Jesse (Jesse Jackson, was he high? Oh, wait – actually, he wasn’t, for a change.) are doing was heartbreaking in “Peekaboo,” where Spooge’s child was living in such horrible conditions that, as Jesse pointed out, he couldn’t even watch any decent TV.

Once again, we saw that Jesse’s just a guy who doesn’t know of any other way to actually earn a living. He doesn’t want to be a drug kingpin; he just wants enough money so he can get high and buy a nice entertainment center setup.

Walter has become the one pushing for kingpin status. In “Negro Y Azul” he’s just half a step away from it. You can see how people who start out as petty drug dealers end up like – well, like Tuco.

If Walter could reach the point where he’s telling Jesse to “deal with it” and giving him a gun, or talking about expanding their territory, what hope is there? The lure of easy money is awfully strong. At least Walter has a “valid” reason for doing it. But most people don’t need a reason that strong.

And then there’s the exploding turtle with the severed head on its back. Don’t tell me that didn’t trip you out. By the by, I really thought Hank was a one-trick pony at the very start of the series, but he’s turned into a surprisingly likable, complex character. I dread when he and Walter come up against one another, which seems as if it’ll be soon.

(Jesse to Walter: “You’d better get a CRIMINAL lawyer.”)

I’m not sure how many more episodes there are; Season 1 was just seven episodes and this Sunday’s ep, “Better Call Saul,” is No. 8 for Season 2.

Whatever the case, I’m glad it’s not a “full” regular network season, because Breaking Bad is wonderful, but, man, does it take something out of you to watch it.