it would have been amazing for this NOT TO explode on the first try.
SpaceX tests to failure.
Nasa would have exploded it as soon as it veered off course. But Elon probably told them to try a few barrel rolls, and see if stage separation still happened.
This is a TEST flight. They were not cheering because they were ordered too. You clearly have not done any engineering. Each test is exciting, and you learn more from failures than you would ever imagine.
I always tell my colleagues that you don’t get these moments of joy like this in every occupation.
Humanity is doomed. There is no point to trying anything, ever again.
That's something I hadn't considered. Elon telling the staff to shake the booty of the craft to force a separation! SpaceX had the flight computers detonate at precisely 4 minutes and zero seconds after liftoff, so this lends credence to your theory about letting it continue after the gyrations happened, before causing the RUD.