It takes place after Daredevil 2, that's all I could tell about it. No references of the Defenders episodes ever appeared in this. For a moment I thought there was one, but it turned out to be something completely different.

Unless specifically stated otherwise (or a flashback) the Netflix Marvel shows seem to be sequential. And really I'm not sure how the events of what happened in Defenders leave room to be discussed in Punisher. Frank is street level, and short of sharp shooting those ninjas to help Matt, he stays out of non/above human affairs.

I say the first episode takes place just after dare devil season two and the rest takes place during Iron Fist, since no spoilers for defenders but Karen isn't too upset to see Frank running into danger and considering what happens in defenders I figured she would mention someone.......

No, it takes place AFTER Iron Fist, not during. Dialogue alone bears this out, plus Colleen's surprise at Bakuto being alive. Not sure how Karen proves anything, Matt and Frank are two different people (meaning Karen wouldn't treat them the same) plus Karen had written off Frank at the end of Daredevil season 2. By the time Punisher's series starts she'd presumably had time to cool off a little.

Again, the Netflix shows are sequential.

okay but I figured after what happen to Matt in defenders Karen would have a last word to Frank on the Elevator before he left..... I mean he was half fucked up and half covered in blood.

Karen and Matt aren't exactly in each other's lives anymore, not like before. Plus she's back with the paper full time, not a paralegal. In other words she has her own life now. Not that she doesn't care about Matt, she'll always care. But when one isn't in the other's immediate orbit, not making contact for days weeks even months isn't exactly unusual. Same with Foggy he's with Hogarth's firm now, and ironically he'd be more likely to notice Matt is missing sooner than Karen.

@RodimusConvoy said:

Karen and Matt aren't exactly in each other's lives anymore, not like before. Plus she's back with the paper full time, not a paralegal. In other words she has her own life now. Not that she doesn't care about Matt, she'll always care. But when one isn't in the other's immediate orbit, not making contact for days weeks even months isn't exactly unusual. Same with Foggy he's with Hogarth's firm now, and ironically he'd be more likely to notice Matt is missing sooner than Karen.

Didn't both Karen and Foggy find out about what happened to Matt at the same time at the end of the Defenders? During the scene when everyone got back to the station except for him.

Alright lets do this: Google Search String.

First result.

Quote from Deborah Ann Woll: "The big thing that stood out to me at the beginning of Punisher is that she’s totally alone. If you watched Defenders, you know why Matt isn’t in her life and Foggy really isn’t in her life."

If common sense and dialogue alone isn't telling people this takes place after Defenders, maybe the actress playing Karen herself will. If there's STILL doubt I can't help beyond this point.

Didn't both Karen and Foggy find out about what happened to Matt at the same time at the end of the Defenders? During the scene when everyone got back to the station except for him.

that's was my point both Karen and Foggy were there in defenders and when they found out what happen to Matt they were both devastated by the news. Now Karen is alone without even Foggy in her life and all she got is Frank. And after losing Matt in Defenders like that and seeing Frank going though something similar and considering frank is more human she didn't seem like she was the same person who was shooked by Matt's death. sorry for spoilers but I think no one here doesn't know.

I just thought she should have felt like that scene in the elevator with Frank would be the last time they see each other and she would say a goodbye that would show that. the scene just seem alittle empty there.... maybe that's just me

I had forgotten Karen and Foggy got news of Matt's death (or "death"), I just remember Matt in that nunnery mimicking "Born Again" from the comics. But it still plays into the larger point, the point of this thread originally, that Punisher takes place AFTER the Defenders, not before or somehow during.

As for how Karen treated Frank in the elevator...I'm not sure what the confusion is, exactly. That Karen should have said more? Like I said originally, she had originally written Frank off at the end of Season 2, perhaps with Matt's "death" she reconsidered and is leaving things open-ended between them. Plus Frank beat death before its possible she figured he would beat it again. And Karen taking leaps of faith with very little to go on is kinda her character. She knows, or feels, she'd see him again.

Finally, It was a tense moment full of emotion, I'd say their body language spoke volumns for them. It was very tastefully done direction, IMO.

holy shit I found this article from the show runner himself and he says it's outside of the defender's timeline. WTF.

http://fandom.wikia.com/articles/exclusive-showrunner-discusses-the-punisher-timeline-in-new-featurette?li_source=LI&li_medium=wikia-impactfooter

Defenders takes place two months after Daredevil Season 2.

Punisher, as per the first episode, there's a SIX MONTH JUMP.

I think the co-creator was trying to be cute with that meta response, otherwise he would have made sure the finished product matched what he's saying.

I kind of get what he was saying though with Frank's story is outside of the defenders since the nurse isn't even in this series. but honestly you could really put this series and most of the other series in any order.

...not when you specify in-story it was six months later. Sorry, neither you NOR him can't get around that one. Either he forgot or he meant something else. I found an article where the author speculated he meant outside of having to deal with any fallout or crossovers, not LITERALLY before or even during. And honestly, unless Lightfoot is somehow incompetent enough to forget his own "six months later" part it has to mean that.

But hey, I guess its romantic to you to think it occurs...whenever, despite evidence to the contrary, so shrugs can't argue with that.

no I get that he meant that frank's story is outside of dealing with the crossover and those characters. since his series is just about him and he is just playing dead for half of it.

like your article says > Lightfoot is trying to say it doesn’t matter, but New York goes under panic for a while in The Punisher, while another mass event rocks Manhattan during The Defenders. That neither of those events conflict can be confusing to audiences who are convinced they’re watching a shared universe of films and TV shows.

the timeline isn't confusing or need clearing up in the netflix world. honestly all the shows are written to not effect each other