The Handmaid’s Tale is one of the most hotly anticipated TV series of 2017.

Not only does it feature a stellar cast, including Elisabeth Moss, Alexis Bledel and Samira Wiley, it also brings to life one of the most gripping novels of the last century.

An adaptation of Margaret Atwood’s bestselling feminist dystopia novel, first published in 1985, it details a bleak American future where women are forced into a life of sexual servitude and surrogacy. 

And if the stills and trailer are anything to go by, the series will be just as dark and compelling as the book.

However, while we might be tempted to binge-watch the entire thing in a single setting (what else are Saturdays for?), Elisabeth Moss has warned against it – instead recommending that we take in each episode individually before moving on to the next.

Speaking to USA Today, Moss, who plays the lead character of Offred, said, “I just think that it’s important in a show like this to watch, step away and think about it.”

Luckily the series, which will be screened on streaming service Hulu, will be released over time with one episode per week, but Moss is adamant that we shouldn’t wait until they’re all available to binge watch them.

Read more: First look at gripping new TV show

She continued to explain that each episode was so “jam packed” it would be an injustice to the show to race through them all at once.

“I think it’s something to be enjoyed and savored. It’s filled with nuance, it’s complicated,” she said.

She also hinted at the darkness of the upcoming series, adding, “It’s something where you may need a second to step back and think about what you’ve seen.”

Atwood, who had accompanied Moss for the interview, agreed, saying, "It’s very emotionally fraught.”

"Every episode ends with a cliffhanger in true Victorian fashion,” she added.

We. Cannot. Wait.

The Handmaid’s Tale premieres on Hulu on 26 April.

Images: Hulu