i am not really sure, from what you wrote where this image lies in the series but i'll say 2 things anyway:
1. it's all about process, you always have this image, what's important is how you get there, that's what is really interesting even if it's not as beautiful
which leads me to:
2. things don't always happen in order... sometimes they do but often i make an image (usually this is with painting) and it turns out that it is the end of the series. then i spend the next 1, 2, 3 or more years making all the images that lead up to it, and this allow me to understand how i got there.