Podcast Episode: Trapped in Nebraska

When comedian Dan Soder and sports media personality Katie Nolan got stuck in Big Springs during a snowstorm, they decided to record a podcast episode covering everything from the Pony Express to whether Scooter's Coffee is overhyped.

While the episode was released earlier this week, Soder and Nolan recorded it on Dec. 26, 2023, when a winter storm closed I-80 and U.S. 30 from the Wyoming border to Lexington.

The "Trapped in Nebraska" episode was a departure from the "Soder" podcast's typical content, which consists of conversations with comedians and dialogue on pop culture topics. Soder, who lives in New York but grew up in Aurora, Colorado, also plays Mafee in the Showtime series "Billions."

Nolan, known for roles at Fox Sports and Apple TV+'s "Friday Night Baseball," announced her engagement to Soder in 2022. She has made a few appearances on the podcast in the past.

"This sucks, but we're fine," Soder reasoned.

On the episode, which includes some adult language, Soder and Nolan explain that they had driven from New York City to Denver for Christmas and were on their way back east when the storm hit.

That left them stranded in Big Springs, a town of around 400 located about 8 miles from the Colorado border. Because the town's Motel 6 was already full, they were stuck in their car in the parking lot along with their dog Myrtle.

Nolan describes deep diving on the Nebraska Department of Transportation's website trying to figure out if there was a way to get around the closure but concluding they were pretty much stuck.

An animated intro to the episode shows Soder and Nolan recording the podcast in a snow-covered car while Myrtle watches from the backseat. The intro also pans to show other people hunkered down in their own cars around them and at least one person questioning why the couple was talking into microphones in their car.

"I think cows outnumber humans in Nebraska," she said.

Scooter's Coffee review: "You've been telling yourself it's good and it's not," said Soder clarifying that "this might seem like an all-out declaration of war on Nebraska. It's not."