'Midnight Never Ends'. A Rod Serling original, directed by prolific 'Night Gallery' director Jeannot Szwarc. Robert F. Lyons ("The Todd Killings") and Susan Strasberg ("The Manitou") star as Vincent Riley, a hitchhiking Marine, and Ruth Asquith, the motorist who picks him up. They're puzzled because they don't really seem to be in control of their own destinies. They inform us that they're performing the same routine so frequently that they can easily predict each others' dialogue. Things don't change when they drive up to a diner and forcefully order coffee. Still, they and two other characters can feel themselves being manipulated as if they are puppets. Overall, the script is good stuff (it's Serling, so you expect a degree of quality), with some sharp dialogue, but when we get to the conclusion / revelation, it doesn't come as any Earth-shattering surprise. Still, this is at the least well-directed and well-acted.
'Brenda'. Scripted by Douglas Heyes, based on a story by Margaret St. Clair. Laurie Prange ("Looking for Mr. Goodbar") plays the title character, a rather devilish kid who doesn't seem to care for making friends in any conventional way. Therefore, she's a lonely soul, albeit one who doesn't take her fathers' (Glenn Corbett, "Homicidal") lectures seriously. One day, she encounters a truly bizarre creature; although roughly humanoid, it seems to be made of mud and vegetation. Fear turns into intrigue soon enough, and once she's managed to trap it in a quarry, she finds herself making a connection with the beast, which does seem to respond to her words. Billed as an "unusual love story", 'Brenda' is by turns creepy, humourous, and just plain sad. It does go fairly far on the strength of young Pranges' affecting performance. The rest of the cast is fine (Barbara Babcock ('Hill Street Blues') and Pamelyn Ferdin ("The Beguiled") co-star), but the segment rests largely on Pranges' shoulders. Some viewers may feel some dissatisfaction with the rather open ending, but overall this segment IS fairly memorable, staying with you after it's over.
Seven out of 10.