>>299959010
>>299959916
I really hope this isn't too spoilerly but this is the way I see it.

The ending of Alyx was written in a way to "save" Valve, because they were kind of written into a corner. 
I don't think it's really spoilers besides the basic concept of how the game fits into the series but I'll spoiler it anyway
[spoiler]In the years of inactivity, the writer released the plot of Episode 3 as "fan fiction" and people's expectations were all based on the original version of Episode 3 that Episode 2 was leading up to, they did what they did in Alyx as a way to reset the timeline and make room for something for the series to move forward into rather than trying to live up to previous expectations for the continuation of the storyline.[/spoiler]