A safe deposit box is a glorious plot hook. Gaining access to one is uncovering something mysterious and full of possibilities. Anything could be in there.
Time capsules. Last wills and testaments. Geocaches. Sealed chambers in tombs. Anything where someone leaves something, for others to pick up later. Either an intended recipient, an unintended thief, or perhaps someone who stumbles across it accidentally. All of these things are rich with promise and adventure.
Commentary by memnarch (who has not seen the movie)
Hm, I know Zeppo's always been quite the scoundrel; is Leia including herself in that correction? I guess constantly fighting an evil empire that includes your mother and then another group that wants to recreate that empire wouldn't make for a good life. Certainly not a peaceful one anyway.
It's fortunate that we never had another underwater situation where Luke might have needed that apparatus. Not to say that there hasn't been something in the 30 year time-skip, but so many different things could have happened in that time to the point that we can't accurately speculate. For something so cheap, it's certainly gotten a lot of use over the years. Now I'm wondering if there's more to that safe deposit box than the device (and possibly the necklace); the presentation here seems like the perfect way to actually get Leia or Luke to pick up an actually important object without potential spies *cough* Finn *cough* Poe *cough cough* getting there first.
Transcript
Leia: Zeppo.
Zeppo: Leia.
Leia: This feels like a farewell.
Zeppo: It is! Seeya.
Leia: You know what I mean.
Zeppo: Right...
Leia: We’ve lived good lives.
Zeppo: Actually... I have a confession to make.
Leia: Well, long lives anyway.
Zeppo: If I don’t make it back, there’s something I want you to do. I’ve left an underwater oxygen extraction apparatus in a safe deposit box on Scipio, under the name Quirino. Give it back to Luke.
Leia: You took Luke’s stuff?
Zeppo: I lifted it off him in the trash compactor. It seemed cool. I’m sure he never missed it.
Leia: Did you take anything of mine?
Zeppo: Just your heart.
Leia: C’m’ere, you big lug. {they hug}
Zeppo: And your chalcedony waves necklace.