eli5: Why can’t you separate the detonator from the explosive?

Question

In film and TV there’s always tension built up as the hero makes a decision on which which wire to cut; the blue. No, the red .. No .. orange ..

Why can’t you simply make a bomb safe by separating the detonator from the explosive?

In: 0

Answer 1

Detonators are frequently (?always) smaller explosives designed to be big enough to ignite the larger explosive.

Ignoring any countermeasures the bomb maker may have included, merely moving the detonator may not be enough to stop larger explosion, and definitely won’t stop the trigger going off.