Rod Serling was fascinated by those plots where a character or group of characters seemed unable to explain their existences and motivations. They seemed to be trapped in some loop, repeating only slightly what they do. Two questions seemed to surface: how did they get here and why? A hitchhiking soldier gets a ride from a woman. They are uncomfortable with each other because when questions are asked, they see unable to supply the answers: "Where are you going? Do you live in L.A.? and so on. They find themselves in a closed diner, forcing the proprietor to give them coffee, but soon are able to predict the next event. At some point, a policeman appears. The conclusion is pretty campy and a little unsatisfying. As were most of those Twilight Zone episodes following similar courses.
In "Brenda" we have a rather unbalanced little girl. She is a pain in the side to everyone on the island where she and her family vacation. She deliberately annoys both adults and other children on the island. She seems to have little conscience and ignores the pleas of her parents as much as possible. Her facial expressions display a kind of conniving humor. Let's face it. She's seems diabolical. Her parents know that when odd things happen on the island she is probably a part of it. One day she finds a strange creature that looks like a pile of leaves and debris. It walks slowly but seems to always be a few feet behind her. She tricks him into falling into a pit where he is unable to escape. She toys with him and talks to him. He does not respond verbally, but does react to her commentary. One day she lets him out. I'm not sure where the writers wanted this to go. Decide for yourself what the the thing's place is in the psyche of this bad seed.
In "Brenda" we have a rather unbalanced little girl. She is a pain in the side to everyone on the island where she and her family vacation. She deliberately annoys both adults and other children on the island. She seems to have little conscience and ignores the pleas of her parents as much as possible. Her facial expressions display a kind of conniving humor. Let's face it. She's seems diabolical. Her parents know that when odd things happen on the island she is probably a part of it. One day she finds a strange creature that looks like a pile of leaves and debris. It walks slowly but seems to always be a few feet behind her. She tricks him into falling into a pit where he is unable to escape. She toys with him and talks to him. He does not respond verbally, but does react to her commentary. One day she lets him out. I'm not sure where the writers wanted this to go. Decide for yourself what the the thing's place is in the psyche of this bad seed.