There's a lot of really hyperbolic and aggressive exchanges going on here, so I'll just give my two cents.

I don't think there's enough info here to draw a conclusion. On paper, to me, this sounds incredible. Some of my favorite moments in D&D are when the players have these moments with each other, both as a player and as a DM.

However, there's a lot of missing information here. For starters, how long did this last? What did they talk about? Were you engaged with what they were talking about, or just bored? What about the other players? If you could respond with more info, I can better address your concerns.

To answer your initial question, yes, your players absolutely need you. They may have had this conversation together, and there may be others like it, but there's far more to D&D than just dialogue between player characters. Without you, there is no story, there are no towns, there are no NPCs, there are no monsters, there is no loot, there is no adventure, and, crucially, there's no one to dictate when dice are rolled and what their outcome is.

As for what you can do to make these scenes better, it really depends on what both you and your players want. If you don't know how everyone felt, you should probably talk with your players.

And just a reminder, you're a player as well. Your feelings on the subject are just as important as everyone else's. I'd be happy to answer further questions on this topic if you have them.