It is unfortunate that Season 10 went back to disappointment with "Selfish", just when it was beginning to improve in its middle third. It was a disappointing season on the whole but still had about five fine episodes and a small sprinkle of good ones, too much of the season was scraping above average at best. One might think reading some of my reviews for some of my post-Season 7 episodes that this is coming from somebody who hates the show, not true at all (have loved many episodes in especially its early seasons).
"Selfish" didn't do anything for me on first watch and still doesn't. To me, it is one of the bottom four episodes of Season 10, along with "Confession", "Wildlife" and "Zebras". It has a few good things but also a lot of bad, and the worst components are done worse than badly. Is "Selfish" a terrible episode? No, none of the Season 10 episodes are (even "Zebras", that did come close though). Is it good? No way, more mediocre at best.
As said, a few things are good and those good things are common with early-mid season 'Law and Order: Special Victims Unit'. The production values are still fully professional, the slickness and subtly gritty style still remaining. The music is sparingly used and is haunting and thankfully non-overwrought.
There are times where the courtroom drama is intriguing. The regular acting is very good.
Unfortunately, that cannot be said for the support acting. Which was mediocre at best and at times even rather bad. Have nothing bad against Haylie Duff, but she does go through the motions here and looks as though she doesn't want to be there. Also have nothing against Noel Fisher, but he never worked as Season 10's recurring character Stuckey and succeeded in making Stuckey one of the show's most annoying recurring characters that mercifully didn't last long.
Regarding the central conflict, it is absolutely ridiculous and severely lacking in suspense. "Selfish" is another episode that tries to cram in too much and it becomes over-stuffed and over-complicated. Also downright weird in the second half from having too many improbable turns, especially the far fetched and easily foreseeable twist. The ending is one that makes one want to throw the television remote control at the wall. "Selfish" seems to be influenced by the Casey Anthony case and it feels like too much too soon at a time where feelings were still raw, a potential danger with "ripped from the headlines" type of cases and one of the biggest examples of the show's mid period for that to be the case.
Overall, disappointing. 4/10.