When “Love Island” contestant Amaya “Amaya Papaya” Espinal confronted some of the men in the show in a recent episode, patrons at a packed Pink Flamingo cheered her on as if the Baltimore Orioles had scored.

Lucy Passmore, who isn’t much of a sports fan, felt like she finally got the equivalent experience of watching a game — rooting for her favorite islanders and chatting about the show with strangers sitting next to her in the Remington bar. There was a sense of community, Passmore said.

The reality television show, a spinoff of the British series, has pretty much monopolized many people’s attention this summer. It’s taking over group chats. Moments between contestants — “I’m a mommy,” “Mamacita?” — are becoming memes on social media. People are watching the hourlong episodes on their phones.

And as the season nears its end, watch parties, where friends and strangers gather in bars and restaurants to tune in to the show, are becoming increasingly popular. The hashtag #LoveIslandWatchParty yields thousands of results on Instagram and TikTok — including several in Baltimore on Sunday for the season’s finale.

If you’re just now tuning into the villa, here’s what you should know.

The contestants, dubbed islanders, live in a villa and need to couple up. Islanders who remain single — and they can recouple multiple times — are eliminated via public vote. The audience also gets to vote on who they think is most compatible. The winning couple receives $100,000.

Passmore noticed how fun — and packed — the watch party at Pink Flamingo became, so the director of marketing and events at True Chesapeake Oyster Co. pitched her bosses on organizing their own party for the finale on Sunday. She said there’s high demand for it.

Reality TV can be a great way to connect with people, Passmore said, and seeing how they react to the islanders says a lot about them.

The watch party at the restaurant in Hampden will start at 8 p.m., giving people an hour before the episode. There will be surprise drinks, and the kitchen will be open until 10 p.m.

Pink Flamingo will be streaming the show again this weekend, said Maura Cassidy, who organized the first watch party at the Remington bar. She thought the tiki bar had the perfect vibe.

Cassidy is a self-proclaimed reality TV expert, with hundreds of hours clocked to prove it. She hosts “She’s Got the Chat,” a podcast about “Love Island,” with her friend Arianna Marshank. They dissect the show like sports commentators, from the game strategy of the islanders to how they are performing.

“It’s like watching these people interact in this, like, kind of ridiculous setting, in this almost like surveillance state type of show,” she said. “That just makes it very fascinating.”

Every possible seat at Pink Flamingo was taken during the July 3 watch party, and the rooms was filled with people standing and sipping on Mamacita Mojitos.

While there were fan favorites, Cassidy said it was also surprising to see how people reacted to different islanders.

Walk into any corner bar in Baltimore on a game night and most people will be rooting for the home team. Go to a “Love Island” watch party and — though there absolutely are fan favorites and villains — things are bound to be a little more interesting.

The finale airs on Peacock at 9 p.m. on Sunday. Here are some places to watch the finale in the Baltimore area:

• Pink Flamingo, 300 W. 30th St. at 8 p.m. Late-night happy hour starts at 9 p.m.
• True Chesapeake Oyster Co., 3300 Clipper Mill Road at 8 p.m.
• The Worthington, 2900 O’Donnell St at 7 p.m. There will be special drinks and food, Surfside giveaways and “Love Island” merch. The Jade Collective, a beauty parlor, will be doing permanent jewelry, piercings and tooth gems.
• The Perch, 1110 South Charles St. Doors open at 4 p.m. There will be Jell-O shots, bingo, raffles and food and drinks specials.