Hear me out.

So, there’s a portal in Joey’s attic. Yeah, its pretty random, but considering good old dad Harley has shit from all around the world there, we can guess that he brought it from somewhere.

But this one of a kind prize is hidden. And covered. In a locked attic.

Why? Wouldn’t he want to display his greatest discovery? “Travel to new worlds! To space itself!”

Unless
it’s linked with a tragedy.

Unless
A. Claire accidentally turned it on at just the right time, and got transported to alternia.

This could explain why Jude knows about the portal and Joey doesn’t: Jude isn’t an idiot. He knows what happened to his mother. He put together the pieces himself. He IS a master theorist. Maybe that’s what got him into all this extraterrestrial junk to begin with. Either way, he’s keeping it a secret for a good reason. So no one tries it again.

Maybe this is why dad Harley left. He can’t stand to be around the house where he lost his love forever. He can’t stand to look at his kids, knowing he’s ruined their lives. That’s why he’s a bad parent.

Maybe that’s why Elwurd “knows your mom”
She literally knows your mom.
She’s seen her.
She’s met A. Claire.

On alternia.

But, the portal needs two people? Who came over to earth???

What if it was an eyeless black monster that began breeding at alarming rates, causing its offspring to have wings and limbs.

Offspring that dwell near the portal.
Near the Claire-Harley house.

I present to you: the Alternia Claire theory.