<PAGE>

                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             WASHINGTON, D. C. 20549

                           --------------------------

                                    FORM 8-K

                                 CURRENT REPORT

                       Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of
                       The Securities Exchange Act of 1934

                            -------------------------

        Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): August 15, 2005

                          MERRILL LYNCH DEPOSITOR, INC.
                     (ON BEHALF OF PPLUS TRUST SERIES GSC-2)
             (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

             DELAWARE             001-32247                    13-3891329
         (State or other        (Commission                (I. R. S. Employer
         jurisdiction  of        File Number)              Identification No.)
          incorporation)

      WORLD FINANCIAL CENTER,                                     10080
        NEW YORK, NEW YORK                                     (Zip Code)
       (Address of principal
        executive offices)
                           --------------------------

       Registrant's telephone number, including area code: (212) 449-1000

                      INFORMATION TO BE INCLUDED IN REPORT


SECTION 1.   REGISTRANT'S BUSINESS AND OPERATIONS

             Not applicable.

SECTION 2.   FINANCIAL INFORMATION

             Not applicable.

SECTION 3.   SECURITIES AND TRADING MARKETS

             Not applicable.

SECTION 4.   MATTERS RELATED TO ACCOUNTANTS AND FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

             Not applicable.

SECTION 5.   CORPORATE GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT

             Not applicable.


<PAGE>


SECTION 6.   [RESERVED]

SECTION 7.   REGULATION FD

             Not applicable.

SECTION 8.   OTHER EVENTS

      ITEM 8.01  OTHER EVENTS

           99.1  Distribution to holders of the PPLUS Trust Certificates Series
                 GSC-2 on August 15, 2005.

                        For information with respect to the underlying
                 securities held by PPLUS Trust Series GSC-2, please refer to
                 The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc.'s (Commission file number
                 001-14965) periodic reports, including annual reports on Form
                 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and current reports on
                 Form 8-K, and other information on file with the Securities and
                 Exchange Commission (the "SEC"). You can read and copy these
                 reports and other information at the public reference
                 facilities maintained by the SEC at Room 1580, 100 F Street,
                 NE, Washington, D.C. 20549. You may obtain copies of this
                 material for a fee by writing to the SEC's Public Reference
                 Section of the SEC at 100 F Street, NE, Washington, D.C. 20549.
                 You may obtain information about the operation of the Public
                 Reference Room by calling the SEC at 1-800-SEC-0330. You can
                 also access some of this information electronically by means of
                 the SEC's website on the Internet at http://www.sec.gov, which
                 contains reports, proxy and information statements and other
                 information that the underlying securities guarantor and the
                 underlying securities issuer has filed electronically with the
                 SEC.

                        Although we have no reason to believe the information
                 concerning the underlying securities and the junior
                 subordinated debentures or the underlying securities issuer and
                 the underlying securities guarantor contained in the underlying
                 securities guarantor's Exchange Act reports is not reliable,
                 neither the depositor nor the trustee participated in the
                 preparation of such documents or made any due diligence inquiry
                 with respect to the information provided therein. No
                 investigation with respect to the underlying securities issuer
                 and the underlying securities guarantor (including, without
                 limitation, no investigation as to their financial condition or
                 creditworthiness) or of the underlying securities and the
                 junior subordinated debentures has been made. You should obtain
                 and evaluate the same information concerning the underlying
                 securities issuer and the underlying securities guarantor as
                 you would obtain and evaluate if your investment were directly
                 in the underlying securities or in other securities issued by
                 the underlying securities issuer or the underlying securities
                 guarantor. There can be no assurance that events affecting the
                 underlying securities and the junior subordinated debentures or
                 the underlying securities issuer and the underlying securities
                 guarantor have not occurred or have not yet been publicly
                 disclosed which would affect the accuracy or completeness of
                 the publicly available documents described above.


<PAGE>

SECTION 9.   FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND EXHIBITS

      ITEM 9.01   FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND EXHIBITS

               (a)  Financial statements of business acquired.

                    None.

               (b)  Pro forma financial information.

                    None.

               (c)  Exhibits.

                    99.1   Trustee's report in respect of the August 15, 2005
                           distribution to holders of the PPLUS Trust
                           Certificates Series GSC-2.




<PAGE>

                                   SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the
registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the
undersigned, hereunto duly authorized.


                                        MERRILL LYNCH DEPOSITOR, INC.

Date: 08/25/05                     By:  /s/ Stephan Kuppenheimer
                                        ---------------------------
                                        Name:  Stephan Kuppenheimer
                                        Title: President








<PAGE>

                                  EXHIBIT INDEX


99.1     Trustee's report in respect of the August 15, 2005 distribution to
         holders of the PPLUS Trust Certificates Series GSC-2.
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{"company-data": {"conformed-name": "PPLUS Trust Series GSC-2", "cik": "0001294808", "assigned-sic": "6189", "irs-number": "000000000", "state-of-incorporation": "DE", "fiscal-year-end": "1231"}, "filing-values": {"form-type": "8-K", "act": "34", "file-number": "001-32247", "film-number": "051049271"}, "business-address": {"street1": "WORLD FINANCIAL CENTER", "city": "NEW YORK", "state": "NY", "zip": "10281", "phone": "2124491000"}}
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             WASHINGTON, D. C. 20549

                           --------------------------

                                    FORM 8-K

                                 CURRENT REPORT

                       Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of
                       The Securities Exchange Act of 1934

                            -------------------------

        Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): August 15, 2005

                          MERRILL LYNCH DEPOSITOR, INC.
                     (ON BEHALF OF PPLUS TRUST SERIES GSC-2)
             (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

             DELAWARE             001-32247                    13-3891329
         (State or other        (Commission                (I. R. S. Employer
         jurisdiction  of        File Number)              Identification No.)
          incorporation)

      WORLD FINANCIAL CENTER,                                     10080
        NEW YORK, NEW YORK                                     (Zip Code)
       (Address of principal
        executive offices)
                           --------------------------

       Registrant's telephone number, including area code: (212) 449-1000

                      INFORMATION TO BE INCLUDED IN REPORT

SECTION 1.   REGISTRANT'S BUSINESS AND OPERATIONS

             Not applicable.

SECTION 2.   FINANCIAL INFORMATION

             Not applicable.

SECTION 3.   SECURITIES AND TRADING MARKETS

             Not applicable.

SECTION 4.   MATTERS RELATED TO ACCOUNTANTS AND FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

             Not applicable.

SECTION 5.   CORPORATE GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT

             Not applicable.
SECTION 6.   [RESERVED]

SECTION 7.   REGULATION FD

             Not applicable.

SECTION 8.   OTHER EVENTS

      ITEM 8.01  OTHER EVENTS

           99.1  Distribution to holders of the PPLUS Trust Certificates Series
                 GSC-2 on August 15, 2005.

                        For information with respect to the underlying
                 securities held by PPLUS Trust Series GSC-2, please refer to
                 The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc.'s (Commission file number
                 001-14965) periodic reports, including annual reports on Form
                 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and current reports on
                 Form 8-K, and other information on file with the Securities and
                 Exchange Commission (the "SEC"). You can read and copy these
                 reports and other information at the public reference
                 facilities maintained by the SEC at Room 1580, 100 F Street,
                 NE, Washington, D.C. 20549. You may obtain copies of this
                 material for a fee by writing to the SEC's Public Reference
                 Section of the SEC at 100 F Street, NE, Washington, D.C. 20549.
                 You may obtain information about the operation of the Public
                 Reference Room by calling the SEC at 1-800-SEC-0330. You can
                 also access some of this information electronically by means of
                 the SEC's website on the Internet at http://www.sec.gov, which
                 contains reports, proxy and information statements and other
                 information that the underlying securities guarantor and the
                 underlying securities issuer has filed electronically with the
                 SEC.

                        Although we have no reason to believe the information
                 concerning the underlying securities and the junior
                 subordinated debentures or the underlying securities issuer and
                 the underlying securities guarantor contained in the underlying
                 securities guarantor's Exchange Act reports is not reliable,
                 neither the depositor nor the trustee participated in the
                 preparation of such documents or made any due diligence inquiry
                 with respect to the information provided therein. No
                 investigation with respect to the underlying securities issuer
                 and the underlying securities guarantor (including, without
                 limitation, no investigation as to their financial condition or
                 creditworthiness) or of the underlying securities and the
                 junior subordinated debentures has been made. You should obtain
                 and evaluate the same information concerning the underlying
                 securities issuer and the underlying securities guarantor as
                 you would obtain and evaluate if your investment were directly
                 in the underlying securities or in other securities issued by
                 the underlying securities issuer or the underlying securities
                 guarantor. There can be no assurance that events affecting the
                 underlying securities and the junior subordinated debentures or
                 the underlying securities issuer and the underlying securities
                 guarantor have not occurred or have not yet been publicly
                 disclosed which would affect the accuracy or completeness of
                 the publicly available documents described above.
SECTION 9.   FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND EXHIBITS

      ITEM 9.01   FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND EXHIBITS

               (a)  Financial statements of business acquired.

                    None.

               (b)  Pro forma financial information.

                    None.

               (c)  Exhibits.

                    99.1   Trustee's report in respect of the August 15, 2005
                           distribution to holders of the PPLUS Trust
                           Certificates Series GSC-2.
SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the
registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the
undersigned, hereunto duly authorized.

                                        MERRILL LYNCH DEPOSITOR, INC.

Date: 08/25/05                     By:  /s/ Stephan Kuppenheimer
                                        ---------------------------
                                        Name:  Stephan Kuppenheimer
                                        Title: President
EXHIBIT INDEX

99.1     Trustee's report in respect of the August 15, 2005 distribution to
         holders of the PPLUS Trust Certificates Series GSC-2.